The Drunken Lizard Pub

I have a recipe for a healing potion that requires willow bark. I have been playing about 10 hours now and have only seen 1 willow bark. I have the foraging skill at level 2 and I cant find any magic shops with Willow bark.

Is this normal?

Yep.

I found willow bark to be really hard to find in the first half od the game. I would reccomend pumping your forage skill up a bit more. I think that certain areas yeild certain items, but I'm not 100% sure.

I think it depends how much you want to be dependent on healing potions. In Eschalon you can often retreat. If you find you still need potions a lot, there's something you're doing wrong.
A couple of points in Foraging is handy for slowing down the food and drink bars, but gathering reagents is completely optional; a good player can play the game without ever camping.
Not to say that everybody needs to play that way, of course...

Dang ok I will have to live without many healing potions....thanks