Herbal Plants for Landscaping

Annuals

• Annual herbs complete their lifecycle in one summer. They grow, blossom and produce seeds in one single growing season. Dill plants (Anethum graveolens) are annual herbs that spread by reseeding themselves. The plants reach 3 to 5 feet tall and produce pungent-smelling, green flower clusters. The seeds are used to season breads, vinegar, fish, pickles and salads. Another annual herb is the pot marigold (Calendula officinalis), which produces daisylike flowers with bright yellow or orange petals. This flower reaches 12 to 24 inches tall in full to partial sun and the petals are used for coloring and flavoring food.

Biennials

• Biennial herb plants produce leaves the first growing season followed by flowers and seeds the next season. Caraway (Carum carvi) is an upright herb, reaching 1 to 5 feet in height in disturbed areas. Small white flowers cluster together on top of clumps of feathery leaves, which resemble wild carrot plants. Caraway seeds are used to flavor drinks, curries, casseroles and cheese. Another biennial herb is clary sage (Salvia sclarea), which produces rosettes of leaves 30 inches across the first year followed by 42-inch tall flower spikes the second year. This aromatic herb is available in violet and white blossom colors.

Evergreens

• Evergreen herbs keep their leaves throughout the winter unless temperatures are too cold for the plants to survive. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an evergreen shrub growing 2 to 4 feet tall and spreading 3 to 4 feet wide with arching branches. Rosemary produces small dark-blue flowers and dark-green aromatic needlelike leaves. This evergreen plant is used to season meats and veggies with pine-like scented needles. Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is a creeping, evergreen groundcover reaching only 6 inches tall. Leathery leaves cover the upright stems, but the prostrate stems are leafless. The urn-shaped flowers appear from June through September. Wintergreen essential oil is distilled from the leaves.

Perennial

• Use perennial herbs for areas that need a long-lived plant, since perennials do not have to be planted year after year like annual herbs. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) produces an above-ground bulb hidden under a massive mound of green feathery leaves 4 to 5 feet tall. Fennel is edible and provides a black licorice taste to sausage, baked goods, fish, vegetables, cheese and soup. A short perennial is thyme reaching 4 to 8 inches tall. The stiff woody stems are covered with small green leaves and lilac-pink blossoms. Thyme plants create an aromatic ground cover and the herb flavors food.