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Abbreviations
Used
[a] annual: Grows and blooms 1 season,
dies first winter
[b] biennial: Blooms second season,
dies second winter
[p] perennial: Grows and blooms for
more than 1 season
[tp] tender perennial: Not hardy to
this area, should be treated as an annual planted
in a protected area or grown inside
Most
of the herbs listed in this section are grown in single
pots.
An asterisk (*) next to the name indicates these herbs
can be found in larger pots in our Perennial
department.
We also grow some of the more popular herbs in 4-packs
and they are also listed in the Vegetable
section of this guide.
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Jasmine[tp]
‘Poet’s Jessamine’
Incomparable
fragrance has inspired poets throughout the ages, aids in
relaxation and facilitates childbirth. Normally a vine but
easily kept bushy by pinching. As a houseplant, can flower
all year. White flower petals are a mainstay of the perfume
industry.
Jerusalem
Artichoke [p]
‘Sunchoke’
Prized
for their sweet nutty tubers that can be eaten raw or cooked.
Harvest in the fall and wait until after a few hard
frost which improves the flavor. Leave roots in the ground
for next season. Can be invasive.
Lavender * [p]
Fragrant
flowers are used in dried sachets, scented soaps, perfumes
and potpourris. Shrubby plants produce spikes of tiny flowers.
Can be used in a border, bed, hedge or in pots. Ornamental.
Medicinal.
Blue
Cushion [p] - true rock garden lavender - great fragrance
- rich purple flowers - silver grey foliage
Dwarf
Blue [p] -good border plant - lavender blue flowers
Fernleaf
[tp] - lacy blue-green fuzzy foliage - dark purple blooms
Fred
Boutin - very fragrant - silver grey foliage - 24” tall
- vigorous
French
[tp] - silver-green leaves with purple flowers
Fringed
[tp] - French - very indented green leaves - fragrant blooms
Fringed
Silver [tp] - French - fragrant silvery indented fuzzy
foliage
Fringed
Variegated [tp] - very indented - green & cream
variegation
Goodwin
Creek [tp] - softly
scalloped - purple blooms atop long stems
Grosso
[tp]- strong fragrance - violet flowers on long stems -
36”
Hidcote
- English - dark flowers
- silver-gray foliage - compact - 12”
Jean
Davis - English - pale pink flowers - compact for borders
- 10-12”
Lady - lavender blue - compact mounds of gray-green
foliage - 8-10”
Munstead - English - lavender blue flowers
- compact narrow foliage
Provence - narrow gray-green leaves with pink
flowers
Silver Leaf - silver cream edges - pale blue
flowers - compact habit
Sweet [tp] - very fragrant foliage - spikes
of pale blooms all summer
Vera
- English - narrow scented grey foliage - blooms on spikes
- 24"
Leeks
[b]
Milder flavor than onions. Good in soups, salads
and vegetable dishes.
Lemon
Balm -
See Balm
Lemongrass [a] ‘Fever Grass’
Grass-like
plant with the aroma of lemon-drops. Good as tea and in
cooking. Oil used for flavoring and perfumery. Source of citronella, an old-fashioned insect repellent. Grows in dense,
tall clumps.
Lemon
Verbena [a]
Strong
lemon scent that fills the air in the hot sun or when the
plant is
touched. Small, white flower clusters on end of branches
in late summer.
Uses: Drinks, teas, fruit salads, potpourri, medicinal.
Lovage [p]
Reputation
as a love charm. Leaves taste like celery with an overtone
of curry and are tasty sprinkled in salads and soups. An
aid in digestion.
Marigold
[a] ‘Lemon Gem’
Lemon
Gem marigold has a lovely citrus-like flavor and odor. Good
in desserts, especially hot dessert sauces made from wine.
Insect repellent.
Marjoram
[p]
Resembles
a mild, sweet oregano. Puree with black olives, garlic and
olive oil as a spread for bread or to toss with pasta. Medicinal,
cooking.
Golden - grows in a mat of round golden leaves
Hardy
Sweet - tomato dishes - sweeter more pungent than oregano
Sweet
[tp] - most popular for cooking - sweet pungent flavor
Variegated
- white-yellow variegated foliage - low prostrate habit
Wild
- often sold incorrectly as oregano - grows wild in New
England - purple flowers attract bees to the garden
Mint
[p]
Very
popular herb. Cool fresh fragrance. Flavors sweet dishes.
Used
in sauces to tame spicy Middle Eastern and Indian dishes.
Teas. Medicinal. Invasive: plant away from main garden or
in containers.
Apple - use fresh or dried - soft, downy grey-green
foliage
Autralian Variegated [a] - tiny fragrant leaves
used in tea
Chocolate - excellent potent flavor
Golden Ginger - excellent flavor - smooth
dark green foliage splashed with
gold along the leaf veins - tea, jellies, garnish, iced
drinks
Orange
- hint of citrus - attractive foliage - drinks, teas, perfume
Peppermint Black
- dark leaves and stems - excellent flavor
Peppermint Variegated
- splashes of white on foliage
Peppermint White - hybrid of spearmint and
water mint
Pineapple - white marked leaves - faint pineapple
fragrance
Spearmint - bright green foliage - fragrant
- teas, sauces, jelly, cooking
Spearmint The Best - vigorous growing form
of spearmint - green wrinkled
foliage make a soothing and refreshing tea
Mitsuba [p] ‘Japanese
Parsley’
Vigorous,
easy to grow. Prefers more moisture and less sun than most
herbs. Leaves and stems have a unique flavor and is used
like parsley in many Japanese dishes.
Mole
Plant [a] ‘Gopher Purge’
Stems
contain sap which is poisonous and caustic and is said to
repel moles and gophers. Single stems and clusters of yellow
blooms.
Mugwort [p] ‘Felon
Herb’
Ancient
magical plant. One of the nine plants used to repel demons
in pre-Christian times. Dried leaves repel flies and moths.
Mustard
[a]
Young
leaves used in salads and as cooked greens. Seeds are ground
to make the condiment mustard. Used as a poultice for rheumatism.
Nasturtium
[a] ‘Indian Cress’
Leaves
and flowers are spicy and fragrant in salads. High in Vitamin
C. Buds are often used as a caper substitute. Gorgeous mix
of colors.
Oregano [p]
The
pizza herb. Spicy flavor in Italian, Greek and Mexican cuisines
Cuban
[tp] - fleshy round leaves, serrated edges - not used in
cooking
Golden
- gold foliage - mild flavor - needs winter mulching.
Greek
- large, dark green, pungent leaves - more upright in growth
Hopley’s
Purple - dark purple-green foliage with red stems -
compact
Hot
& Spicy - light green foliage - full spicy
flavor
Sal’s
Choice Maru - grey-green leaves with excellent oregano
flavor
True
- creeping - strong flavor - pink flowers - long lasting
- dries well
Parsley [b]
Underlines
flavor of most foods. Also available in cell packs of four.
Curled - preferred as a garnish and used in
cooking
Italian
Plain - preferred in cooking -
high in vitamin C and A
Patchouli [tp]
Leaves
are excellent in potpourri and sachets. Used in perfume
and soap.
Perilla [a]
Popular
in Japanese cooking as a flavoring for raw fish, bean curd,
pickles, tempura and candy. Cinnamon-scented leaves. Attractive
dark wrinkled leaves and pink flowers are used in flower
arrangements.
Green - green leaves - lemony taste
Purple - wrinkled dark purple leaves and pink
flowers
Red
Valerian [p] ‘Fox’s
Brush’ or ’Red Cow Bell’
Ornamental
long-lasting, attractive clusters of fragrant red flowers.
Cuts and dries well. Young leaves can be eaten in salads
or as greens.
Roquette - See
Arugula in Vegetables -
Herbs
Rose
Campion [p]
Silver
foliage is often confused with Lamb’s Ears. In late spring,
the 38” tall stems arise with a great profusion of deep
rose-pink flowers which continue to bloom for two more months.
Pink - silver foliage - stems of deep rose
pink flowers over foliage
Rosemary [tp]
Attractive
evergreen with needle-like leaves. Fragrant with many uses.
Cooking. Medicinal. Hair and skin rinses from rosemary tea.
Arp - hardy upright - foliage gray-green
Barbeque - strong, upright - large deep green
leaves - lovely flavor
Blue
Lagoon - deep blue flowers, early spring to fall - hedge
or shrub
Common
- upright, bright green leaves - blue or white flowers
Foresteri - deep green - more compact form
Golden Rain - gold streaked foliage - blue
blossoms - culinary herb
Hill Hardy - very dark green foliage - pine
fragrance
Pine Scented - small needled - light soil
- do not overwater
Pink Flowering - upright habit - pink flowers
Prostrate
- creeping - blue blooms
Salem
- good variety for shaping into topiary
Tuscan
Blue - dark blue flowers - strong, upright, fast grower
White
Flowering - white flowers - upright grower
Rue [p] ‘Herb of Grace’
Lovely grayish hedge.
Branches were carried to ward off the plague and associated with
weddings.
Caution: foliage may cause dermatitis on sensitive skin
and considered toxic in large doses.
Blue
Mound - dense compact blue-green foliage - spectacular
accent
Sage [p]
Pungent,
aromatic flavor when dried. The fresh leaves are delicate
and somewhat minty. Medicinal. Cooking. Believed to increase
the longevity of life, act as a disinfectant and as a tonic
to the digestive system.
Berggarten
- compact - silver foliage - lilac-blue blooms -
part shade
Clary [b] - large pebbly foliage - very decorative
white-lilac flowers
Cleveland [tp] - most aromatic sage - hairy,
gray foliage - blue flower
Fruity - strong aroma of mixed fruits - shocking
pink flowers
Golden Edged - very decorative with green
leaves edged with gold
Gray - attractive, gray-green leaf
Mexican Bush [tp] - deep purple velvety or
purple and white flowers
Pineapple [tp] - red edible flowers - used
for drinks, cooking - attracts honey
bees and hummingbirds - pinch to keep bushy
Purple - aromatic purple foliage - grow in or outdoors
in full sun
Russian - gray sage-like foliage on a decorative
shrub - fragrant
Silver - showy, wooly silver foliage - white
flowers
Scarlet
[tp] - red flowers - attracts hummingbirds, bees, butterflies
Tri-colored - aromatic, variegated white,
purple and pink leaves
White Edged - added foliage interest
Santolina
* [p] ‘Lavender Cotton’
Very
attractive lacy foliage. Good low hedge. Keep pruned,
perfect plant to shape. Repel moths. Oils used in
perfume. From aster family.
Gray - pungent, finely divided, silver-gray
evergreen foliage forming low
mounds - bright, gold button flowers -
15"
Green - dark jade green leaves and ferny foliage
- yellow flowers
Pinnata - dwarf, dense, compact, gray - yellow
button flowers dry
well - use the leaves and flowers as an insect repellent
- good hedge
Savory
[a]
Summer - ‘Bean Herb’ - used in bean dishes - great culinary herb
Winter - ‘Mountain Savory’ - strong
flavor - good salt substitute and excellent
seasoning in cabbage and turnip dishes.
Shallots
Mildest
of onions with a sweet taste. Easier to digest than other
onions.
Sorrel
[p]
‘French Sorrel’ or ‘Garden Sorrel’
Very
acidic herb. Base for many soups and sauces. Use young leaves
to
add a tangy taste to salads. Once used medicinally but recently
considered dangerous to people who are predisposed to kidney
stones.
Stevia
[tp]
Remarkable
herbal sugar substitute. Hundreds of times sweeter than
sugar, without the calories. Leaf powder can be used as
a sugar substitute in drinks, baked goods, desserts, preserves,
etc.
Strawberry
Alpine [p]
A
runnerless strawberry. Small extremely sweet fruit all summer.
Fruit has a mild laxative effect. A decoction of the roots
is a diuretic and the dried leaves make a pleasant tea.
Sweet
Myrtle
[tp]
Common - fragrant, dense, evergreen shrub
- dark, shiny leaves – white
flowers - red berries - tolerates low light - great topiary
plant
Variegated - decorative houseplant - green
foliage with cream edges –aromatic
- considered an aphrodisiac - excellent for topiaries
Sweet
Woodruff (Gallium) *[p]
Lovely
spreading ground cover for shady areas. Foliage is odorless
but develops the scent of newly mown grass as it dries.
Excellent in sachets. Flowers and leaves make a delicious
tea which relieves stomach pains.
Tansy
[p]
Tall
background plant; flowers are pretty both fresh and dried.
Aromatic
plant used as a moth, fly and ant repellent. Medicinal.
Fern
Leaf - yellow button flowers - finely cut foliage, almost
ruffled
Tarragon [p]
Enticing
and distinctive flavor; suggestive of anise or licorice.
Essential to sauces such as bernaise or hollandaise.
French - dark green, shiny leaves
Mexican [a] ‘Sweet Marigold’ - sweet
smelling - good substitute for French
tarragon - stimulating tea
Teucrium
(Germander) * [p]
Good
edging for an herb bed or border. Aromatic. Ornamental. Medicinal.
Silver [tp] - excellent pot plant - lovely
gray-white foliage - decorative
Thyme
* [p]
Strong
herb, pungent clove-like flower. Low growing bush. Essential in French cooking and bouquet
garni.
Creeping
Rosea - pink flowers
Creeping
serpyllum - Mother of Thyme
Creeping
White
English
- most popular culinary thyme
Lemon
- small upright bush habit; dark green leaves.
Lemon Golden - scattered yellow edges on foliage - mild flavor
Lemon
Silver - striking shrubby plant- wonderful lemon scent
Lime
Orange
Balsam
Oregano
Pink
Chintz
Red
Thyme
Silver - gray leaves edged in white - accent
plant - upright
Wooly - fuzzy blue-gray foliage - rapid spreader
- avoid shade from other
plants and do not mulch in winter to avoid rot
Valerian [p] ‘Garden
Heliotrope’
Valued
in the garden for the sweet scent of its pale lavender or
white blooms in May. Used medicinally for its strong sedative
and calming action. It is said to allay pain, soothes migraines
and promotes sleep.
Wormwood [p]
Bitter
herb that is used in the making of the liqueur Absinthe,
which is now outlawed. Silky gray foliage resembles a silver
mound or soft gray balls. Dried foliage repels moths in
the linen closet. Leaves secrete bitter substance that inhibits
growth of other plants. Good rock garden plant.
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