Rural types look outside hotel for a herb (9-3)

'a herb' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both plants as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?

'rural types look outside hotel' is the wordplay.
'rural types' becomes 'peasants' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'look' becomes 'eye' (eyeing is a kind of looking).
'outside' indicates putting letters inside.
'hotel' becomes 'h' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'peasants'+'eye'='peasantseye'
'peasantseye' enclosing 'h' is 'PHEASANTS EYE'.

'for' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?