13 Perennial Herbs and How to Grow Them in Your Garden

Perennial herbs are plants that come back each year without the need to manually replant. Perennial plants grow back every year from an underground root system, and can self-seed. While annual plants shrivel up and die in the winter and biennial plants go dormant just once before completing their life cycle, perennials pull all of their energy and resources inward and prepare for the dormant season, reemerging during their next growing season with little to no human intervention. Perennial herbs like sage, rosemary, chives, and winter savory are easy to plant in your herb garden to yield year after year of tasty crops.

Parsley and caraway are considered biennial herbs, while chamomile and cilantro are grown as annuals. However, with the right growing conditions, perennial herbs will continue to provide a bountiful harvest season after season. Some common types of perennial herbs are the following.

1. 1. Catmint: Catmint (Nepeta racemosa) is an herb that’s similar in appearance to lavender due in part to its blue flowers and shrub-like shape. Its aroma is effective at repelling pests and has a fairly long growing season. Since its bloom time runs from early spring to early fall, you’ll have plenty of time to harvest and dry this spicy scented flower for homemade potpourri. Cats also enjoy the scent of catnip, and it makes a popular filling for homemade cat toys.
2. 2. Catnip: Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a perennial herb and member of the mint family known for producing a euphoric effect in cats. It is a medium-sized plant with square stems and fuzzy green foliage. Catnip can grow to around three feet tall and sprouts little white flowers with purple markings. Different hybridizations can create catnip plants of varying sizes and color variations, from lavender to pink.
3. 3. Chives: A close relative of garlic, scallions, shallots, and leeks, chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a thin, grass-like member of the allium family. With a subtle oniony flavor, these herbaceous perennials have become one of the most widely-used garnishes in the world and can be found in most grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Chives are an easy-to-grow plant and a great choice for beginners. Not only can they survive cold weather and dry soil, but they’re also rewarding for gardeners, producing both edible leaves and beautiful, edible purple flowers every year.
4. 4. Fennel: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a perennial herb that belongs to the carrot family. Though its thick stalks with feathery leaves and bright poofs of yellow flowers are native to the Mediterranean region, they grow wild on the side of roads everywhere from Italy to California to Australia, where it is considered an invasive weed. The most common cultivated fennel plant is called Florence fennel, and most parts of the plant are edible: while the hollow fennel stalks can be a bit tough, its edible white bulb is treated as a vegetable and its leaves (which are similar in consistency to dill), fruits (colloquially called seeds), pollen, and essential oils are incorporated into dishes all over the world.
5. 5. Garlic chives: Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), also known as Chinese chives, Asian chives, or Chinese leeks, are a common form of chive native to southern China. This variety of chives, which has been used in Chinese cooking for thousands of years, are distinct from common chives in both flavor and appearance.
6. 6. Lemon balm: Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a perennial herb and member of the mint family, is a fragrant addition to any herb garden. The flavorful herb adds a punch of flavor to herbal teas, baked goods, salad dressings, and even ice cream. Lemon balm gets its name from the Greek word for honey bee (mélissa); its flowers are a particular favorite of the pollinators.
7. 7. Lemon verbena: Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) is a perennial shrub in the verbena family of plants, useful for both medicinal and culinary purposes. Also known as lemon beebrush, lemon verbena is recognizable for its pointed leaves, rough texture, and the unmistakable lemon scent of its essential oils. Lemon verbena thrives in warm climates with full sun exposure. Unlike other lemon-scented herbs such as lemon balm and lemongrass, lemon verbena plants can grow into 6-foot-tall trees, producing pretty white flowers in late summer and fall.
8. 8. Oregano: Oregano is a fragrant culinary and medicinal herb that has been used for thousands of years. Oregano has a subtly sweet, herbaceous flavor, making it one of the most popular cooking herbs in the world, featured prominently in Italian, Turkish, Mexican, and Greek cuisine. It is another perennial herb that will go dormant over the winter and grow back in the spring.
9. 9. Rosemary: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a semi-woody/tender perennial herb with needle-shaped leaves that is indigenous to Asia and the Mediterranean Basin. This evergreen shrub is a member of the mint family. Rosemary bushes can grow to be about four feet tall and four feet wide, with flowers that can be blue, purple, white, or pink. It is a popular herb to add to roasted dishes like chicken, roasted vegetables, and bread.
10. 10. Sage: Sage is a low-maintenance, hardy perennial herb known for its fuzzy leaves and intense herbal aroma. There are many varieties of sage, but common sage—aka garden sage, broadleaf sage, or culinary sage (botanical name: Salvia officinalis)—is the variety you'll likely want to plant in your herb garden. Russian sage (Salvia yangii), while very different from common sage, is similarly low-maintenance and long-blooming; these shrubs start blooming bright lavender flowers in the late spring or early summer.
11. 11. Tarragon: In USDA hardiness zones four or greater, tarragon is considered a perennial herb. Tarragon grows on tall, slender stems that produce glossy leaves and edible yellow, green, or white flowers. Tarragon is also known as estragon (Artemisia dracunculus); it was first cultivated in Siberia thousands of years ago. Today, it grows in dry, sunny regions across the northern hemisphere, stretching from Asia to the United States. French tarragon has many culinary uses and brings a rich, licorice flavor (also known as anise). It is a sweeter version in comparison to Russian tarragon.
12. 12. Thyme: Thymus vulgaris is part of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. It is a hardy perennial and a Mediterranean herb that prefers drier and sandier environments. Creeping thyme, woolly thyme, lemon thyme, and hyssop thyme are just four of 300 varieties of thyme that exist. Thyme is a popular herb used to provide an earthy, lemony flavor to a number of roasted dishes.
13. 13. Winter savory: Winter savory (Satureja montana) is an evergreen perennial herb that is often used as a seasoning in cooking. Winter savory has dark green leaves with small spiky white flowers and looks similar to oregano. Its dried leaves have a mild peppery flavor with notes of marjoram and mint. Winter savory is typically used as a garnish or spice in meat or bean dishes. It can also be used to cut the odor of strong-smelling vegetables such as cabbage when boiling. It can survive temperatures as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit and is an easy herb to grow in your own home garden.

While each plant species will have its own specific growing requirements, there are a few general guidelines to follow when planting perennial gardens.

1. 1. Choose the right herbs. Keep in mind that not every perennial will be hardy in your particular USDA hardiness zone. If you live in a particularly hot or cold climate, choose herbs that will thrive in your natural habitat. Consider container growing your herb if you live in a climate with an exceptionally cold winter.
2. 2. Choose your planting spot. Whether you’re growing an herb garden in a window box or in your yard, it’s important to place your plants in the most optimal growing conditions. For instance, if you have shade-loving perennials, avoid putting them in a place that receives six hours of full sun a day.
3. 3. Provide your plants with enough room. When you transplant perennial herbs, make sure that the new hole is at least twice as wide as the root ball of your plant. It should be at the same depth it was in its previous container, with none of the stem covered by dirt. If you’re planting from seed, check the plant’s specific growing and germination conditions in order to provide adequate spacing.
4. 4. Plant companion crops beside your herbs. Companion plants will either help a specific crop grow or will grow better beside a specific crop, and can do many support jobs in the garden. Incorporating companion plants into your perennial herb garden can improve soil nutrients, attract pollinators, or serve as shade and groundcover for more sensitive plant species
5. 5. Water your perennials regularly. Give your perennials about an inch of water per week to encourage long root growth and proper soil moisture absorption. Water deeply during the first year, and scale back watering every season after the plant’s roots are established.
6. 6. Deadhead your flower heads. Removing spent flowers and/or buds from your herbaceous perennials will not only help control seed dispersal for the following year, but it will also help conserve your plant’s energy. After deadheading, the plant is able to redirect its energy and resources towards new, healthy growth, rather than wasting it on dead or dying leaves and stems.
7. 7. Divide your plants. Every few years, you’ll need to carefully dig up your plants and divide their roots. Plant division is a method of producing new plants by removing a portion of a parent plant that has its own roots and replanting the new section to grow elsewhere. The roots of the original plant allow the new plant to begin absorbing water and nutrients immediately. Dividing plants can reduce overcrowding, and prevent your plants from competing for resources in your garden.
8. 8. Winterize your plant. Every year during the winter, your herbaceous perennials will go dormant as the plant dies back during the cold temperatures. Make sure to mulch the root system around your plant to protect it from temperatures that drop below freezing.

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