Herbs Which Grow Well in Northeast U.S.

Medicinal

• Witch-hazel, found in wooded areas throughout the northeastern United States, ranges in size from a large shrub to a small tree; it can grow as tall as 15 feet. Modern herbalists use the bark and leaves of witch-hazel to treat eye ailments and to tone skin as well as to calm itching and hemorrhoids.

  Another medical herb, found in roadsides and fields throughout the region, St. John's Wort, has proven to regulate chemicals in the brain related to depression. More than 20 studies confirm its efficacy as a treatment for mild to moderate depression, states Brandeis University.

Mediterranean

• Dill, a Mediterranean native, grows well in the cooler temperatures of the northeast. An excellent seasoning for fish and soups, dill also makes a good herb for a butterfly garden. Spacing seeds 10 inches apart provides sufficient room for each plant to mature. Direct seeding works best for planting dill since it does not transplant well.

  Thyme, a Western Mediterranean native, also thrives in the northeast. A small shrub with numerous branches, thyme typically grows about 12 inches high and 10 to 12 inches wide.

Culinary

• Basil, though native to India and Asia, flourishes in the climate of the northeast U.S. Gardeners cultivate basil for its fragrant leaves, which make an excellent food flavoring. You can use the leaves fresh or after drying.

  Chives, another transplant that has found a home in the northeast, gives excellent flavor to soups and salads. Both the leaves and flowers of chives make good ingredients for herbal vinegars. Chives typically reaches 18 inches high at maturity.

Invasive

• Some herbs not only grow well in the northeast; they grow too well. Garlic mustard, a biennial with small white blooms, grows well under many conditions but spreads especially fast in moist, shady locations. Native to Asia and Europe, experts believe European settlers brought the plant to the U.S. for food and medicinal purposes. The University of Maine places the herb on its invasive species list.

  Purple loosestrife, a perennial herb introduced to North America more than 200 years ago, has become a threat to wetland ecosystems in the northeast, according to the University Of Connecticut.