10 Lesser-Used Culinary Herbs to Try in Your Garden (and What They Are All About)

A personal favorite of many gardeners, the culinary herb garden is full of fresh flavors, alluring aromas, and beautiful blooms. It’s a wonderful mix of textures, from the fuzzy leaves of sage to the needles of rosemary to the feathery foliage of dill. Even better, lots of culinary herbs are perennial, and some are even evergreen.

Undoubtedly, most herb gardens are rooted in those classics everyone keeps in the pantry. Oregano, thyme, rosemary, dill, and sage are great for drying. Fresh basil, chives, parsley, and cilantro make run-of-the-mill dishes dazzling. Mint and lemon balm are great for homespun herbal tea.

But, there are far more culinary herbs to include in the mix, many of which deliver an entirely different taste profile and a notable touch of biodiversity. Most of these herbs are easy to grow in the garden, fun to experiment with in the kitchen, and beloved by pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Anise Hyssop

An herb with a licorice flavor and citrus aftertaste, anise hyssop is great to include in the herb garden for herbal teas, salad dressings, and anywhere tarragon or fennel might go. It blooms all summer, attracting pollinators and hummingbirds. It’s a perennial plant that requires very little attention, and it grows well in USDA Zones 4-8.

Horehound

An aggressively spreading member of the mint family, horehound has grayish, fuzzy leaves. It’s considered a bitter herb and is commonly used in lozenges, teas, and syrups. Horehound is a perennial plant that will need to be controlled (possibly planted in a container to keep it from taking over the garden). It is widely used as a medicinal herb.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is an herb that most of us are familiar with, but it can be overlooked in the herb garden. It’s a perennial ornamental grass that loves hot weather. It makes a great insect repellent, mosquitoes included. Unfortunately, lemongrass can’t withstand temperate winters, but it can be potted and brought indoors without missing a beat.

Lovage

A wonderful substitute for difficult-to-grow celery, lovage is an easy-going perennial herb that has stalks and leaves that are highly suggestive of celery. Even the crushed seeds can be used as celery powder. Lovage is happiest in USDA Zones 4-8 where it can grow to be four feet tall and 18 inches wide.

Mexican Tarragon

With an anise flavor and aroma much like French tarragon, Mexican tarragon can be substituted for the real thing in environments that are hot and humid. It’s a type of perennial marigold, but it isn’t frost-tolerant at all. Otherwise, it’s a tough, largely low-maintenance herb with pretty flowers to enjoy.

Perilla

Native to Asia, perilla is a member of the mint family with a strong suggestion of basil that comes through flavors of mint, anise, and licorice. Even though it’s an annual plant, it’s very good at naturalizing itself by self-sowing if allowed to flower each year. This is a common plant in East Asian dishes.

Sorrel

Wild sorrel is common in many parts of the world (including the USA), and cultivated sorrel is largely popular in France. In both cases, this perennial herb is beloved for its sour, citrusy taste that works beautifully in salads as well as sour soups. Like many leafy greens, sorrel is primarily a spring and autumn crop.

Stevia

Well-known as a sugar substitute, stevia is something most of us are familiar with when it comes to coffee or tea, but it’s a perennial culinary herb native to warm climates. One fresh stevia leaf can be used like one packet of stevia, or it can be dried and powdered. It can survive mild winters if mulch well.

Sweet Cicely

Sweet Cicely is a perennial plant that dies back in the winter but returns in the spring. It comes from the same family as parsley, but it has a sweet, somewhat licorice-like flavor. This is a great plant for the shadier, soggier parts of the herb garden. Honeybees love it, and the entire plant is edible for humans.

Winter Savory

Summer savory is an annual plant, but winter savory is perennial. It has a peppery, savory taste. Winter savory leaves get very dark green in the summertime, and they are great additions to sauces, stuffing, and salad dressings. It’s also used medicinally to aid digestion and ease flatulence, so it pairs well with beans.

Certainly, there are many other herbs to investigate, but these are worth a try. They’ll make wonderful additions to the culinary garden.

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