IntroductionThis study conducted an ethnobotanical survey of wild medicinal plants in the multi-ethnic areas of Gansu–Ningxia–Inner Mongolia intersection zone. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plant use in the region was compiled to identify important medicinal plants currently used for treating relevant diseases and to determine species with potential for development.MethodsKey informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, participatory rural appraisal methods, and ethnobotanical quantitative evaluation were used to investigate and study the traditional knowledge of local residents' use of wild medicinal plants in the region. The relative importance of the referenced plants was assessed, as well as the prominent species widely used in medicinal applications.ResultsThe study found that the region has a total of 204 wild medicinal plant resources, belonging to 149 genera of 51 families. Among these resources, a total of 50 commonly used plants were identified (44 of which were herbs, some of which were multi-origin), belonging to 27 families, with the most species found in the Asteraceae family, with 11 species. These herbs are mainly used for preventing and treating colds and nourishing health, followed by treatment of fever, stomach problems, and bleeding. The most frequently used medicinal plant in the region is “Ai”, which includesArtemisia argyiLévl. et Van. andArtemisia kanashiroiKitam. All respondents provided information about the use of this medicinal plant to varying degrees, followed byArtemisia annuaLinn.,Ephedra sinicaStapf,Taraxacum mongolicumHand.-Mazz.,Sonchus arvensisLinn.,Artemisia capillarisThunb., among others.ConclusionOur investigation gained a wealth of traditional knowledge about the use of wild herbs, using wild herbs, which plays an important role in the lives of local residents. Especially, the herbs and application methods used for treating colds, bleeding, and stomach problems are worthy of further research and development.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13002-023-00585-5.