What Are Some Herb Plants?

Culinary Herbs

• Herbs have been used for centuries to flavor food, especially food with unpleasant tastes or odors. Common herbs to grow in a home herb garden include basil, bay, chives, chervil, cilantro (coriander), dill, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon and thyme.

Medicinal Herbs

• Pioneers depended on herbs for curatives. Evidence for the medicinal qualities of herbs is largely anecdotal, however. Some can be toxic. Arnica is used in healing ointments; lemon verbena has been used to treat digestive disorders; and horseradish is known as a treatment for bronchitis.

Ornamental Herbs

• Some herbs, such as lavender, are grown for their flowers and foliage. Valerian is a tall perennial with white, vanilla-scented blooms. Pineapple sage bears bright red flowers beloved by hummingbirds. Variegated forms of sage, thyme, mint and oregano add interest to the herb garden. Santolina has fuzzy gray foliage and yellow flowers; rue has lacy blue-green foliage; and borage bears bright blue flowers.

Aromatic Herbs

• Lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon grass and pineapple sage have aromatic leaves that, when dried, are used in potpourris and teas. Lavender is traditionally used for scenting linens. In the Middle Ages, herbs with aromatic foliage were laid on floors to release their scent when walked on. They included hyssop, mint, chamomile, sweet woodruff, lavender and sage.