Herbs

Herbs care & growing guides

Growing guides for culinary herbs, indoors on the sill or out in the garden.

Growing dates on these pages tune to your USDA zone once you set your ZIP.

Basil

Ocimum basilicum

The cornerstone culinary herb — a fast-growing, frost-tender annual with fragrant, tender leaves…

Full sun (6+ hrs)Keep evenly moistBeginner-friendly

Bay Laurel

Laurus nobilis

A slow-growing Mediterranean evergreen grown for its leathery, aromatic leaves — the bay leaves…

Full sun to part sunWhen top inch driesEasy-going, just slow

Chamomile

Matricaria chamomilla (German) / Chamaemelum nobile (Roman)

A cheerful, daisy-flowered herb grown for its honey-apple-scented blooms, the classic ingredient…

Full sun (part shade in heat)Every 5–7 days, let dry betweenBeginner-friendly

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

The mildest, most well-mannered member of the onion family — a hardy perennial that forms neat…

Full sun to part shadeEvenly moistBeginner-friendly

Cilantro

Coriandrum sativum

A cool-season annual herb grown two ways from one plant — bright, citrusy cilantro leaves and…

Full sun to part shadeKeep evenly moistBeginner-friendly

Dill

Anethum graveolens

A fast-growing annual herb with feathery blue-green foliage and flat umbels of tiny yellow…

Full sun1 inch per weekBeginner-friendly

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

A tall, aromatic Mediterranean herb with feathery bronze-green foliage, yellow flower umbels, and…

Full sun1–2 inches per weekBeginner-friendly

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

A woody Mediterranean perennial grown for its silvery, aromatic foliage and fragrant purple flower…

Full sun (6+ hours)Sparingly, when dryBeginner-friendly

Lemon Balm

Melissa officinalis

A soft, lemon-scented perennial in the mint family, prized for its bright citrus aroma and gentle…

Full sun to part shadeKeep evenly moistBeginner-friendly

Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus

A tall, clumping tropical grass grown for its fragrant, citrus-scented stalks — the bright lemony…

Full sunKeep consistently moistBeginner-friendly

Marjoram

Origanum majorana

The sweet, gentle cousin of oregano — a tender Mediterranean perennial usually grown as an annual…

Full sun (6+ hrs)Water when top inch dries; dislikes soggy soilBeginner-friendly

Mint

Mentha spp.

The vigorous, fragrant ground-coverer of the herb garden — a hardy perennial whose cooling…

Full sun to part shadeKeep consistently moistBeginner-friendly

Oregano

Origanum vulgare

The backbone of Mediterranean cooking — a tough, spreading perennial herb with small, peppery…

Full sun (6+ hrs)Water when dry; drought-tolerantBeginner-friendly

Parsley

Petroselinum crispum

A hardy biennial culinary herb grown as an annual for its fresh, clean-flavored leaves — both the…

Full sun to part shadeKeep evenly moistBeginner-friendly

Rosemary

Salvia rosmarinus

A woody, drought-tolerant Mediterranean evergreen with needle-like, resinous leaves and a piney…

Full sun (6–8 hrs)Sparing; dry betweenEasy outdoors, fussy indoors

Sage

Salvia officinalis

A woody, drought-tolerant Mediterranean perennial with soft, pebbled, silvery-green leaves and a…

Full sun (6–8 hrs)Sparing; dry betweenEasy outdoors

Sorrel

Rumex acetosa

A hardy perennial leaf crop grown for its bright, lemony, almost sour green leaves — a tangy…

Full sun to part shadeEvenly moistBeginner-friendly

Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana

The natural sweetleaf — a tender South American perennial whose unassuming green leaves are many…

Full sun (6+ hrs)Keep evenly moistIntermediate

Tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus

A graceful, aromatic perennial with slender green leaves and a distinctive anise-licorice flavor…

Full sun (6+ hrs)Moderate; dry betweenModerate

Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

A low, woody-stemmed Mediterranean perennial whose tiny gray-green leaves pack an intense, savory…

Full sun (6+ hrs)When soil is dryBeginner-friendly

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