Plant Library
Types of herbs: 15 culinary and medicinal varieties
The 15 most useful types of herbs — culinary and medicinal, annual and perennial — with care signals, pot tips, and uses for UK and US gardens.
Types of herbs: 15 culinary and medicinal varieties
Herbs occupy a strange middle ground in the garden — too small to grow like vegetables, too useful to grow like ornamentals — and most kitchen-garden plans either over-commit to them (40 pots, ten died, the rest got woody) or skip them entirely. This guide walks through the 15 most useful types of herbs for cooking and traditional use, grouped by family and life cycle, with the pot or bed care signal each one wants and the culinary uses you will actually reach for. UK and US gardeners both grow the same core list — the differences are mostly in cultivar names and which herbs survive your winter outdoors.
Pick the right herbs for your kitchen: Tell Growli what you cook most often and we suggest the five herbs that will earn their pot space — and the ones you should not bother with unless you commit to drying them.
How we group the 15 types
Three filters split the herb shelf into manageable buckets.
- Annual vs perennial. Annuals (basil, coriander, dill) crop one season and die at first frost. Perennials (mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, chives) return for years from one planting. Biennials (parsley) crop year one and bolt year two.
- Family. Most kitchen herbs are in Lamiaceae (the mint family — square stems, opposite leaves, aromatic oils in glandular hairs: basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender, lemon balm) or Apiaceae (the carrot family — hollow stems, umbel flowers: parsley, coriander, dill, fennel, chervil). Chives sit alone in Amaryllidaceae (allium family).
- Culinary vs medicinal. Many herbs do both — chamomile flavours a posset and steeps as a tea; lavender goes into shortbread and sleep sachets; sage seasons stuffing and is taken as a tea for sore throats. We split below by the primary use today.
A note on medicinal claims. In the UK, manufactured herbal medicines need either a Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) from the MHRA or a full Marketing Authorisation before they can be sold with medical claims. Growing the herb yourself for kitchen and personal use is unregulated, but if you sell or formulate a herbal product the MHRA THR scheme applies. In the US, herbal teas and supplements are regulated by the FDA under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and cannot make therapeutic claims without going through the drug-approval process. For both audiences: enjoy your herbs, never substitute them for medical advice.
Culinary herbs — the Lamiaceae
The mint family. Square stems, paired leaves, and aromatic essential oils in glandular hairs are the family signature. Almost every herb that smells strongly when you brush it belongs here.
1. Basil — Ocimum basilicum
The headline summer herb. Tender annual — frost kills it in October. Sweet (genovese) is the pesto and tomato basil; Thai (purple stems, anise flavour) goes in southeast Asian cooking; Greek and bush basil stay compact for small pots.
Care signal: Full sun, warm roots, pinch out flowers to keep cropping. See how to grow basil, how to prune basil, and /plant-care/basil.
Culinary use: Pesto, caprese, tomato sauces, Thai stir-fries. Use raw or added at the end of cooking — heat destroys the volatile oils.
2. Mint — Mentha spp.
Perennial — and aggressively spreading. Always grow in a pot or a buried bottomless bucket unless you actively want a mint thicket. Spearmint (M. spicata) is the cocktail and tea mint; peppermint (M. piperita) is stronger and more medicinal; apple mint and chocolate mint sit at the novelty end. See /plant-care/mint.
Care signal: Sun to part shade, moist soil, contain the roots.
Culinary use: Mint sauce, mojitos, Middle Eastern salads, North African tagines, infused water, tea.
3. Rosemary — Salvia rosmarinus
Recently re-classified out of the old genus Rosmarinus into Salvia — a 2017 reclassification confirmed by the current accepted name in international plant lists. Hardy evergreen perennial; survives outdoors across most of the UK and US zones 7 and warmer. Mediterranean by origin so wants free-draining gritty soil and full sun. See /plant-care/rosemary.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, avoid winter wet at the roots.
Culinary use: Roast lamb, potatoes, focaccia, infused oils, bread dough.
4. Thyme — Thymus vulgaris
Hardy evergreen perennial. Common thyme is the kitchen staple; lemon thyme adds citrus, creeping thyme spills over a rock garden. Cut back hard after flowering each year to keep plants compact — old thyme goes woody and useless. See how to grow thyme for the full propagation and harvest routine, plus /plant-care/thyme.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, hate sitting wet.
Culinary use: Bouquet garni, slow-roast meats, pulses, butter sauces.
5. Sage — Salvia officinalis
Hardy evergreen perennial. Common green sage is the kitchen staple; tricolour (cream, purple, green) and purple-leaved cultivars add ornamental colour. Sage gets woody and ratty after 4 to 5 years — take cuttings to replace the parent plant. See /plant-care/sage.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, prune after flowering.
Culinary use: Stuffing (especially with onion), brown-butter sauces, sausages, white-bean stews. Sage tea is a traditional sore-throat remedy.
6. Oregano — Origanum vulgare
Hardy perennial. The wild UK form (marjoram) is milder than the strong-flavoured Greek and Italian oregano cultivars used in pizza and pasta sauces. Dries beautifully — actually intensifies in flavour after drying, unlike most herbs. See how to grow oregano for sowing, dividing and drying, plus /plant-care/oregano.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, divide every 3 years.
Culinary use: Tomato sauces, Greek salads, pizza, grilled meats, marinades. Fresh in salad, dried in cooked dishes.
7. Lemon balm — Melissa officinalis
Vigorous hardy perennial. Lemon-scented leaves for teas, fruit salads, and herbal infusions. As thuggish as mint — grow in a pot. Traditionally used as a calming tea.
Care signal: Sun to part shade, average soil, cut back hard after flowering.
Culinary use: Herbal tea, fruit-cup garnish, lemon sorbet, white-wine infusions.
Culinary herbs — the Apiaceae
The carrot family. Feathery foliage, hollow stems, and flat-topped umbel flowers. These herbs go to seed fast in long days — sow in cooler shoulder seasons for the longest leaf harvest.
8. Parsley — Petroselinum crispum
Hardy biennial — leaves year one, flowers year two. Flat-leaf (Italian) is the cook's choice for stronger flavour; curly parsley has a milder taste and decorative texture. Slow to germinate (3 weeks) — soak seed overnight to speed things up. See how to grow parsley for the full germination and cut-and-come-again routine, plus /plant-care/parsley.
Care signal: Sun to part shade, moist rich soil, sow every 6 weeks.
Culinary use: Tabbouleh, gremolata, persillade, butter sauces, garnish for almost anything. Stems for stock, leaves at the end.
9. Coriander (cilantro) — Coriandrum sativum
Annual. The leaves (cilantro to US cooks, coriander leaf to UK cooks) and seeds (coriander) come from the same plant. Bolts fast in heat — sow direct every 3 weeks from April to August for steady leaf supply. Some people taste soap due to a genetic variation in the OR6A2 olfactory receptor gene — well-documented science. See /plant-care/cilantro-coriander.
Care signal: Sun to part shade, even moisture, sow direct (resents transplanting).
Culinary use: Mexican (salsa, guacamole), Indian (chutneys, garnish), Thai. Seed in spice blends like garam masala and ras el hanout.
10. Dill — Anethum graveolens
Annual. Feathery foliage and umbels of yellow flowers; flavours pickles, gravlax, and Scandinavian potato dishes. Bolts fast — succession-sow like coriander.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, sow direct.
Culinary use: Cured salmon, cucumber pickle, new potatoes, yogurt sauces, fish.
11. Chervil — Anthriscus cerefolium
Annual. Lacy parsley-aniseed flavour; the "C" of the French fines herbes (with chives, parsley, tarragon). Surprisingly cold-tolerant — a good cool-season pot herb when basil is dead.
Care signal: Sun to part shade, moist soil, autumn sowing for spring crop.
Culinary use: Fines herbes blends, egg dishes, white sauces, salad.
Other culinary herbs
12. Chives — Allium schoenoprasum
Hardy perennial allium. Hollow grassy leaves and edible mauve pom-pom flowers. Cut all the way to the base every few weeks for fresh tender growth — never trim just the tips.
Care signal: Full sun, average soil, divide clumps every 3 years.
Culinary use: Potato salad, omelettes, soft cheeses, garnish soups. Flowers in salads and as edible decoration.
13. Tarragon — Artemisia dracunculus
Hardy perennial — but only the French cultivar ("French tarragon") has any flavour, and it must be grown from cuttings or division as it does not produce viable seed. Russian tarragon (the seed-grown plant on most racks) is bigger, hardier, and tastes of nothing.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, divide every 3 years.
Culinary use: Béarnaise sauce, chicken dishes, vinegar infusion, fines herbes.
Medicinal herbs
These three are commonly grown by home gardeners for their traditional uses. None of the uses below are medical claims — they are traditional applications, and any serious medical use should go through a qualified practitioner.
14. Chamomile — Matricaria chamomilla (German) and Chamaemelum nobile (Roman)
German chamomile is the taller annual grown for tea flowers; Roman chamomile is the creeping perennial used for chamomile lawns and ground cover. Both produce small white daisy flowers with a sweet apple scent. See /plant-care/chamomile.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, pick flowers fully open.
Traditional use: Calming tea before bed; the most-studied herbal sleep aid. Also flavours soaps and infused honeys.
15. Lavender — Lavandula angustifolia
The Mediterranean perennial that scents UK summer gardens. English lavender (L. angustifolia) is the hardiest and most fragrant; French and Spanish lavenders need winter protection in colder zones. Prune lightly after flowering to keep plants compact — never cut back into old woody growth. See /plant-care/lavender.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining alkaline soil, prune annually.
Traditional use: Sleep sachets, infused honey, lavender shortbread, essential oil for relaxation.
Herb-pot care across the category
Most herbs grow well in pots once you match three things to the family. Lamiaceae herbs (the Mediterranean perennials — rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender) want the smallest pot you can give them, gritty free-draining compost mixed roughly 70 percent peat-free compost to 30 percent horticultural grit, and a south or west window or sunny bed. They die from waterlogged roots, never from underwatering.
Apiaceae herbs (parsley, coriander, dill, chervil) want bigger pots with richer compost, more consistent moisture, and they crop best in a slightly cooler partial-shade spot — full sun in July pushes them to bolt within a week. Mint and lemon balm need a pot of their own or they invade everything else.
Use a peat-free compost. The UK is in the middle of a peat phase-out — Defra has confirmed the ban on retail sales of peat-based growing media is now scheduled for 2030 (delayed from earlier 2024 and 2026 dates), and all plants sold at RHS retail outlets from January 2026 onwards are grown peat-free. Brands like Sylvagrow, Westland New Horizon, and Melcourt Sylvagrow are now mainstream peat-free options.
Try Growli: Snap a photo of your herb pot in Growli — we'll tell you which family your herb is in, what its watering rhythm should be, and whether the leaves you're picking are too young or going to seed.
How to choose which herbs to grow
Start with the cooking. List the five dishes you actually cook most often and pick the herbs each dish uses. Italian-heavy households: basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme. Mexican and southeast Asian leaning: coriander, mint, lime basil. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern: parsley, mint, sage, oregano, thyme. Roasts and stews: thyme, sage, rosemary, bay.
Then layer in three rules. Grow at least one fast cut-and-come-again herb — how to grow chives is the easiest perennial place to start — so you have something to clip when other plants are dormant. Grow one or two evergreen perennials (rosemary, thyme, sage) for winter cooking. And never grow more annual basil than you'll use — one big plant or three small ones is plenty for a household.
Common mistakes
Overwatering Mediterranean herbs. Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, and lavender all evolved on rocky Mediterranean hillsides. They die wet, never dry. Reduce watering to "when bone-dry" in winter; never use a saucer that holds water.
Letting basil flower. The plant switches into seed-set mode and leaves toughen. Pinch out every flower bud and the plant keeps producing leaves for another six weeks.
Sowing coriander once in May. It bolts within five weeks of sowing in summer. Succession-sow every three weeks from April to August for continuous leaf supply.
Buying supermarket "growing" herbs and expecting them to last. Those pots contain 15 to 20 seedlings crammed together as a one-month bouquet. Either repot into a bigger pot immediately and split the clump, or treat them as fresh-cut and bin the pot.
Treating French and Russian tarragon as the same plant. Russian (seed-grown, vigorous) tastes of nothing. Buy French tarragon as a rooted cutting or division.
Related articles
- How to grow basil — the headline summer herb
- How to prune basil — keep leaves coming all season
- Best fertiliser for indoor plants — feeding pot-grown herbs
- Companion planting guide — herbs as crop neighbours
- Types of vegetables — pairing herbs with vegetable beds
- Types of pots for plants — choosing the right pot for each herb family
- Types of soil — Mediterranean vs moisture-loving soil mixes
Reviewed and updated by the Growli editorial team. For questions about anything here, open Growli and ask — or email hello@getgrowli.app.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main types of herbs?
Culinary herbs (basil, parsley, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, chives, coriander, dill, tarragon, chervil) and medicinal or tea herbs (chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, echinacea). Most kitchen herbs belong to the Lamiaceae family (the mints) or the Apiaceae family (the carrot family — parsley, coriander, dill). Annual herbs crop one season; perennial herbs return for years.
Which herbs are perennial and which are annual?
Perennial: mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, chives, lemon balm, lavender, tarragon, bay. Annual: basil, coriander, dill, chervil, summer savory. Biennial: parsley (leaves year one, flowers year two). Hardy perennials survive UK winters and most of the US down to zone 6; rosemary and tender perennials may need protection below zone 7.
What is the easiest herb to grow?
Chives and mint are the two most forgiving — both perennial, both tolerant of varied light and watering. Parsley, thyme, and oregano are close runners-up. Basil is the most common beginner herb and the most likely to fail because it needs heat and steady watering — wait for late May before planting basil outdoors anywhere in the UK or US north of zone 7.
Can I grow all herbs in one pot together?
Mostly no. Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano) want gritty dry soil and full sun. Mint, parsley, and chives want richer moist soil. Mixing them means somebody dies. Group herbs with similar requirements — one pot for Mediterranean herbs, one pot for moisture-loving herbs, one solo pot for mint.
How often should I water herbs in pots?
Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender) want the soil to dry out fully between waterings — typically once every 5 to 10 days in summer, once every 2 to 3 weeks in winter. Moisture-loving herbs (mint, parsley, chives, basil, coriander) want consistently moist soil — every 2 to 3 days in summer heat. Always check by sticking a finger in the soil rather than watering by calendar.
Are medicinal herbs safe to use at home?
Growing herbs for personal cooking and tea use is unregulated and broadly safe when you stick to well-known herbs like chamomile, lavender, mint, and lemon balm in normal culinary quantities. In the UK, manufactured herbal medicines need MHRA registration (THR) to make medical claims; in the US, FDA dietary-supplement rules apply. Never substitute home-grown herbs for prescribed medicine, never use during pregnancy without medical advice, and confirm safety for children and pets.
How do I dry herbs to use later?
Cut stems on a dry morning after the dew has lifted but before midday heat dissipates the essential oils. Tie in small bundles and hang upside down in a warm dry well-ventilated spot out of direct sun for 1 to 3 weeks. Strip dry leaves into an airtight jar, label, and use within a year. Oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, mint, and chamomile flowers dry beautifully. Basil and parsley keep their flavour better when frozen than dried.
Which herbs grow well indoors year-round?
Chives, parsley, mint, and basil in summer all grow well on a bright south-facing windowsill. Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) need more light than most indoor positions can supply — consider supplemental grow lights or move them outside in summer. Coriander and dill are best sown direct outdoors due to their dislike of transplanting.