herb varieties for 2024

plant key

• Open-pollinated, unless otherwise noted with “F-1 hybrid.”
• Annual, unless otherwise marked “P” for Perennial or “SSA” for Self Sowing Annual
• Days to maturity are from transplant. (This means start counting when you put the plant in the ground. Take these numbers with a grain of salt; there are a lot of variables to take into consideration.)
• Varieties may fluctuate year to year

Size pot available:
3” = 3” round biodegradable pot (18 / tray) - $4.00 each
3.5" = 3.5" square biodegradable pot (18 / tray) - $5.25 each

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
P. 3.5”
Native to the Midwest, its flowers will draw in bees, butterflies and beneficial insects, and the sweet licorice scent will draw you in. Culinary and medicinal uses, will resow. This perennial can reach 3 ft tall and 2 ft wide and is hardy to Zone 4.

Basil

Ocimum basilicum, unless otherwise noted.

Genovese
70 days. 3”
The classic Italian variety for pesto connoisseurs. Slightly smaller, but more potent leaves. You’ll see it coming by the aroma!

Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)
100 days. 3”
Also known as ‘tulsi.’ Has a spicy mint/clove/anise scent. Used historically in Ayurveda to “counter life’s stresses.” You might consider this medicinal plant for treating anxiety and stress or for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. (As always, consult your herbalist or doctor.)

Mrs. Burns Lemon
64 days. 3”
Intense lemony fragrance. This is an heirloom variety, hailing from New Mexico and first popularized by Native Seeds/Search.

Thai Basil
60 days. 3”
A distinctive licorice/anise scent. Fine leaves with purple stems, seed heads and flowers. Grows to 12-18” tall. Indispensable for Thai food or atop a steaming bowl of pho.

Catnip
description coming soon

Chamomile ‘Zloty Lan’ (Matricaria recutita)
SSA. 3.5”
Commonly used in herbal teas as a sleep aide and to calm the nerves. Harvest the daisy-like flowers when the petals fall back from the center.

Chives (Allium shoenoprasum)
P. 80 days. 3.5”
A grass-like herb with delicate onion-y flavor. Lavender flowers are edible. Hardy to zone 3, a tough plant that should be divided every few years.

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
50-55 days. 3”
Cilantro’s a tricky one. It likes to bolt (go to seed) especially in hot weather. It’s not your fault, it just happens! If you’d like a steady supply, you need to keep re-planting. If you hate cilantro, never mind, you have a genetic trait that truly makes it taste like soap. If you love it, eat up, because it’s super healthy, even chelating heavy metal toxins in your body.

Comfrey
P. 3.5”
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!

Dill, ‘Bouquet’
3"
Harvest the foliage (dill weed) before the seed stalks mature for the best flavor. But to attract beneficial insects, let it go to flower! The flowerheads are also perfect for pickles.

Fennel, Bronze
3”
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!

Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!

Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum)
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
P. 3.5”
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
A good border plant with gray-green leaves and spiky purple flowers. Its spicy scent is why it was traditionally a “strewing herb,” scattered on the floor to mask unpleasant odors. Leaves can be used in salads, soups and liqueurs.

Lavender ‘Munstead’ (Lavandula angustifolia)
P. 3.5”
A compact strain of English lavender whose flowers range from pale blue to dark violet. Reaches 12 - 18” in height and width.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
P (also self sows). 3.5”
Smells wonderful in the garden and adds a lovely lemon note to herbal teas. Harvest the leaves for various purposes before the plant goes to flower, but its flowers are also edible and attract bees. (Hence the name ‘Melissa’ - Greek for honeybee.) Easy to grow mint relative that will spread readily if allowed.

Lime Balm (Melissa officinalis ‘Lime’)
P (also self sows). 3.5”
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back in 2023!
Similar to lemon balm with bright green leaves and a distinct lime flavor. Harvest the leaves for herbal tea before the plant flowers, and use fresh for the best flavor.

Lemongrass - East Indian (Cymbopogon flexuosus)
3.5”
Native to southeast Asia, lemongrass is perennial in zones 9 - 11, but not here in Ohio. You can savor its haunting citrusy scent all summer long and then bring it inside for the winter. An actual grass, it can grow quite a bit in one season, reaching 3 - 4 feet tall. Wear gloves and long sleeves to harvest the stalks by division at the base, or cut the tops for herbal tea. Here’s a great little 3 minute primer on how to use it in the kitchen.

Lovage (Levisticum officinale)
P. 3.5”
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
Underappreciated, this multipurpose herb has leaves that taste like celery. Use the young leaves in salads, soups, poultry and potato dishes. You can also use the seeds to flavor baked goods. Also a striking plant that reaches 3 - 6 ft tall and produces umbel-shaped flowers that attract beneficial insects. Hardy to zone 4.

Mad Dog Skullcap (Scuttelaria lateriflora)
P. 3.5”
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
Also called ‘Virginia Skullcap,’ this spreading perennial is a native used in herbal medicine. The name? Its historic use as a folk remedy for rabies. Hardy to zone 4.

Marjoram, Sweet (Origanum marjoram)
3.5”
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
An oregano relative with a sweeter flavor and a more compact habit (12”). Use fresh or dried in all kinds of dishes, but especially tomato-based dishes, meat and poultry.

Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)
3.5”
Its sweet licorice flavor makes a fine substitute fro French tarragon. Lovely little yellow flowers are edible and bloom all summer, brightening your herb garden. Reaches 16 - 20” in height.

Mint, Arabian (Mentha longifolia)
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
P. 3.5”
Native to North African and purported to be the mint used in Moroccan mint tea. Long, thin leaves and light blue flowers. Like any mint, it will spread if you let it. On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!

Mint, Spearmint (Mentha spp.)
P. 3.5”
Classic sweet spearmint, perfect for tea or cocktails.

Oregano Greek (Origanum vulgare hirtum)
P. 3.5”
The classic herb for Italian and Greek cuisine. Hardy to zone 4.

Parsley, ‘Gigante d’Italia’ (Petrsoselinum crispum)
70 days. 3”
A flat-leaved variety hailing form northern Italy with a rich, sweet flavor. Reaches 12” in height with a steady supply of large leaves.

Parsley, ‘Triple Curled’ (Petroselinum hortensis)
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
68 - 75 days. 3”
A fast-growing variety with closely curled, dark green leaves.

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!

Rhubarb Victoria (Rheum rhabarbarum)
P. 3.5”
A fast-growing green-stemmed variety, excellent for pie. An English heirloom variety, named in honor of Queen Victoria.

Roselle Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
3.5”
This is the flower behind Jamaican Sorrel drink and Red Zinger tea. The familiar hibiscus flowers give way to bright red, fleshy calyces which surround the seed pod. Separate the calyx (sepals) from the seed pod and dry to make a festive drink all winter long. The plants get big; give 2 - 3 feet between them.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
3.5”
With a little luck and some protection, you might get rosemary to overwinter in Ohio, but if you want to make sure it survives the cold, pot it up and bring it in. This Mediterranean evergreen shrub provides a classic spicy flavor, excellent with fish, potatoes and lamb.

Sage Broadleaf (Salvia officinalis)
P. 3.5”
The familiar culinary sage, with fuzzy grey-green leaves. Perennial, hardy to zone 4, but you may want to replace it every few years as the plant grows woody with age.

Sorrel Red Veined (Rumex sanguineus)
P. 3.5”
Also known as Bloody Dock. While largely grown as an ornamental, it is beautiful and edible with the same lemon flavor as French Sorrel. (Though you should exercise caution if you have a condition making you sensitive to oxalic acid.) Dark maroon stems and veins add striking color and lemon-y zest to your salad. Harvest in spring when the leaves are young. Self sows and prefers moist soils. Hardy to zone 6, maybe even 4 or 5.

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)
3.5”
You don’t have to buy the white powder; you can grow your own! The leaves can be used fresh or dried to sweeten beverages. Reported to be hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and to inhibit tooth decay. Grows to a bushy 2 ft.

Thyme, German (Thymus vulgaris)
P. 3.5”
A creeping, mat-forming perennial hardy to zone 4. A standard in the kitchen, it also has lavender flowers that attract bees.

Thyme, Orange (Thymus fragrantissimus)
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
3.5”
With a sweeter, citrusy aroma. Try it with fish or as an accent in sweet dishes. Tender perennial in zones 6 - 8.
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!

Wormwood
On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
P. 3.5”

Yarrow, White (Achillea millefollium)

On the backburner due to low sales. Let me know if you’d like to see it back!
P. 3.5”
Native and attractive to bees, beneficials and butterflies. Sweet little flat-topped white flowers appear June through August. Grows wild here, but the spicy scent always reminds me of California. Happily reaches 1 - 2 ft in poor soils.

Za’atar (Origanum syriacum)
3.5”
A delicious oregano that is a necessary ingredient to the Middle Eastern spice blend of the same name. An addicting topping for flatbreads or sweet potato fries, make your own za’atar seasoning with this herb, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and sea salt.