Perennial Herbs

Herbs that need to be planted only once, for it to grow season after season for a few years can be defined as perennial herbs. These herbs are generally hardy and do not require too much effort to grow. Having a perennial herb garden is a wonderful addition since you can use these herbs to flavor your food. If you are desirous of having a perennial herb garden at your home, you have to choose herbs to plants considering how much sunlight it is going to get. Some perennials require moderate amounts of sunlight to thrive while others require a temperate climate. Another important thing to consider is the composition of the soil.

List of Perennial Herbs

Before we discuss what are the different perennial herbs that you can grow in a herb garden, let us know what are the different perennial herbs.

• Aloe
• Angelica
• Bay Leaf (leaves of the Bay Laurel plant)
• Basil
• Chives
• Dill
• Fennel
• Ginko
• Ginger
• Ginseng
• Hyssop
• Horehound
• Lavender
• Lemon Balm
• Lemongrass
• Marjoram
• Mint
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Savory
• St. John Wort
• Tansy
• Thyme
• Tarragon
• Urva Ursi
• Valerian
• Yarrow

Perennial Herbs to Grow

If you are planning to have a herb garden, planting a selection of perennial herbs can enhance it. Not all perennials do well in all kinds of climate and soil composition. So you have to make sure that the herbs you plant in your herb garden is suitable for your climate.

Chives: Chives are members of the onion and garlic plant and these herbs grow about a foot tall. They are dark green in color and have a hollow stems that are cylindrical in shape. There have to be planted in clusters of four to six seedlings that are 8 to 12 inches apart. They can be harvested once the herbs are at least 6 inches in height. Chives have various culinary uses and can be used to flavor soups and stews. They have a mild oniony flavor that works well with meat and poultry dishes.

Marjoram: Marjoram perennial herb grows to a height of about a foot and is leaves are small oval shaped which are about an inch in size. These leaves are used in flavoring soups, sauces and stews. It has a pungent yet sweet taste and is widely used in Mediterranean cooking. The herb requires full sunshine to grow and cannot tolerate cold and frost.

Thyme: Thyme herb grows to a height of 7 to 15 inches and its leaves are used in cooking. Thyme leaves are ½ inch in length and are small and narrow. There are many varieties of thyme like English thyme, orange thyme and lemon thyme. All of these are used for culinary purposes. They grow well in temperate climate and they are also used for making thyme oil and other medicinal products.

Sage: Sage is a perennial herb that grows to a height of about 2 feet. The leaves of sage herb is small and narrow and are a grayish green in color. The stems are hard and woody and are not used for cooking. Sage leaves have a warm, peppery taste and aroma, making it ideal for flavoring meat and poultry dishes. There are various uses of sage herb and one of them is for making sage flavored oil.

These herbs can add grace and elegance to your herb garden and you can use these herbs for cooking too. Hardy perennial herbs do not require too much effort to grow, once planted.