Category Archives: herbs

African Blue Basil

Posted on July 11, 2026 | Leave a comment

Young plants from a stem cutting

In the beginning of the summer, I purchased two African blue basil plants. Unlike the sweet Genovese basil, these are grown for their flowers and pollinating power. They grow quickly in the summer, becoming large bushes, 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Although the leaves are edible, they have a strong camphor taste so usually they are not used for cooking.

African blue basil is a cross between a camphor basil native to East Africa (Ocimum kilimandscharicum) and a cultivar called Dark Opal, (Ocimum basilicum) native to Africa and Southern Asia. Its botanical name is Ocimum kilimandscharicum x basilicum ‘Dark Opal’.  The foliage is dark green with purple veins. New leaves look almost purple. The flowers are 6-inch spires of dark pink florets set against dark purple calyxes.

Bee attracted to flowers on plants in a garden center

Because of this cross, African blue basil is sterile; it does not produce seeds. Therefore, you cannot purchase seeds. If you want to grow it, you must buy the plant.

Like all basils, stem cuttings root easily in water. Once my two plants were established, I made several stem cuttings, rooted them in water, and then potted them up once they had roots. From those plants, I made even more cuts so now I have several plants flourishing in different parts of my property. It is much like having one coleus plant and making stem cuttings until you have enough for the summer. Now in July I must stop (yes, Virginia, I probably should have stopped earlier) because cutting prevents it from flowering and the point is to let the plants flower all summer long.

African blue basil makes a great container plant

Basils should be grown in full sun in moist, well-drained soil. My plants are in different light exposures from hot full sun to shade so we will see which performs well. Although more heat tolerant than other basils, I think full sun during a heat wave warrants a little shade protection. Fortunately, African blue basil is not as susceptible to downy mildew like sweet basil. This plant also makes a great container plant, which I have done in the past.

Here in Virginia most people grow African blue basil as an annual but it really is a perennial hardy to zone 10. When the fall comes, I may either take cuttings or dig up some of the plants to bring indoors to overwinter them. That way, I won’t have to purchase them again next year.

I highly recommend this plant to grow as a colorful annual, both in the garden bed and in containers. The pink/purple flowers attract bees and butterflies and can be cut for fresh or dried floral arrangements. Plus, you can make more from one!

 

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Using Perilla Leaves in Korean Cooking

Posted on June 30, 2026 | Leave a comment

perilla leaves up close

Last Sunday I attended a Korean cooking workshop and potluck with a focus on perilla, a culinary herb that is easy to grow here in the DMV. Hosted by Hands on Harvest at the Annandale Mission Center, registration for this free event was done through Sign Up Genius. People were asked to bring a dish for the potluck (it did not have to be Korean) and an empty container to take home some of the Korean food.

Stacey Evers, board chair of Hands on Harvest, explained that this local, 5-year-old, non-profit organization enlists volunteers to grow food for the local food banks. They manage 4 community gardens and a demonstration garden in Fairfax County. For those interested in helping, they provide plenty of support and education including seeds, seedlings/transplants, and mentorships to gardeners who can grow on their own property or in community gardens. They also have events including this workshop and through food they bring together the diverse community in northern Virginia.

She then introduced Soomin Kim who was born and raised in South Korea and has lived here since 2012. She owns a company called Virginialicious where she provides tours of local Korean restaurants to help people understand the dishes, learn what to order, and learn more about Korean culture. Stacey had participated in one of these tours and said it was great, she learned a lot.

Soomin Kim (photo by Hands on Harvest)

Soomin was a delight. She first explained that perilla is a plant that we can grow easily here. However, leaves for sale at Asian supermarkets are expensive. Perilla frutescens is a green-leaf variety commonly used in Korean cuisine. This is an annual herbaceous culinary herb that will self-seed readily. To prevent too many volunteers, you can either pinch it to prevent it from flowering or grow it in a container. Soomin said that the plant is often sold at Asian supermarkets in May when it begins to warm up but you can also start the plants from seed. Perilla grows to a few feet tall and requires full sun and consistent moisture, especially if grown in a container.

Then she explained “banchan” which are the side dishes that are offered in Korean restaurants. We were going to make a banchan called perilla “kimchi” – not a true kimchi because the mixture had not fermented but one with many of the same ingredients. She prepared her own recipe in advance which included soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar/rice syrup, garlic, onion, green onion, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. We each received a stack of perilla leaves and a small cup of this “kimchi.” We spread the kimchi on a leaf, put another leaf on top, spread the kimchi again, put another leaf on top and so on until we had a stack of leaves. Soomin said it tastes better the next day so I did not eat them then, I stored them in my container.

stacks of perilla leaves

However, I did eat a perilla leaf. It was slightly spicy with flavors of both anise and citrus and a hint of black pepper. When I eat herbs, I often categorize them as “sweet” or “savory.” I categorized perilla as savory and I could see how the leaf could be used whole as a wrap or with something edible on it, as a garnish on the side, or minced/chopped. I asked Soomin if the leaves could be sauteed with oil and garlic, much like cooking spinach or greens, and she recommended stuffed perilla leaves where you fold the leaves around a piece of meat or tofu, dip in egg wash, and pan fry until golden. Pan-fried stuff perilla leaves are called kkaennip jeon (kkaennip is another word for perilla leaf). She also said that one could make a perilla pesto or chimichurri.

Making Korean BBQ (photo by Hands on Harvest)

She then cooked pork belly in a skillet and brought out a container of already cooked pork for Korean BBQ. She had a large container of lettuce and perilla leaves plus containers of pickled onions, sliced ginger, and a sauce to put on the pork. In addition, we could spread a dark red paste on the leaves which came in a green plastic container (the green color indicates that it is “mild.”) Called ssamjang, this thick savory paste is made of fermented soybeans, sesame oil, garlic, green onions, and chile.

We were instructed to pick up a lettuce leaf, add a perilla leaf, then add pork and condiments and roll it up so we could eat the entire thing in one bite. It was very tasty. She did offer white rice to anyone who wanted it but I did not see any takers.

After we loaded up on Korean BBQ, we took our plates to the long tables of the potluck food. As we ate dinner, Stacey asked people about their gardening challenges and accomplishments. Many of the people already knew each other from volunteering at Hands on Harvest. I met several new people and talked with some old friends. Soomin introduced us to a game where the prize was a Korean face mask which she likes so much she buys them in bulk when she is visiting Korea. When we left we were each given a small bag with Korean ramen and her business postcard with two recipes.

The potluck food was really good too and I liked the way we learned about Korean food and other food dishes that people brought. One person brought pitchers of agua de Jamaica which I have made before but this particular recipe had clove, cinnamon, anise and kalamansi concentrate. I had not heard of kalamansi before so when I asked she explained that kalamansi is from a Philippine lime. I am now on the quest to find this concentrate.

I also discovered from the woman sitting next to me that there is a good Indian spice and grocery store in Falls Church. Another future adventure.

There will be another Hands on Harvest event on July 12 that will focus on food preservation such as pickling, canning, and making Trash Soup plus a potluck. Sign up here and if you would like donate your time or money to the garden plots, please contact Stacey through the Hands on Harvest website here. If you are interested in Soomin’s Korean food tour, please visit her website here. And if you have seen or heard of this kalamansi let me know!

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Celebrate Pollinator Week with Culinary Herbs that Support Bees

Posted on June 21, 2026 | Leave a comment

bee on oregano flower

This week is Pollinator Week, from June 22 to 28, 2026. Recently I gave a presentation to the Northern Virginia Beekeepers Association in Alexandria about culinary herbs they can grow to attract and support bees plus use for themselves in the kitchen. These herbs also support beneficial insects and butterflies. Many are drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, and make great landscape plants.

African blue basil

Most people associate basil (Ocimum spp.) with the sweet Genovese type that has large green puckered leaves. This type of basil is grown for its foliage because it is so tasty and useful in the kitchen. However, there are basils grown for their flowers – think of them as annual flowering plants. Try Thai basil, African blue basil, and cinnamon basil. Thai and cinnamon can be grown from seed but you would have to either purchase an African blue basil or ask a friend for a stem cutting (roots easily).

Borage (Borago officinalis) is a beautiful annual plant, easy to grow from seed. In the summer, the 2-3-foot-tall plant blooms blue or white flowers. The flowers are edible and so unique in shape that they add interest to cakes and baked goods, either on top or by the sides on the platter. The blossoms can be frozen in ice cube trays to add to drinks and punch bowls.

borage

Also easy to grow from seed, calendula (Calendula officinalis) blooms yellow or orange flowers predominately in the spring or fall. It prefers the cool spring and fall weather and may pout a little during our hot and humid summer. The edible flowers can be used as a garnish for a charcuterie board or around a platter of green vegetables or a cake. You can also separate the petals to mix into herbal butters or cornbread, sprinkle on green cooked vegetables like beans, or lay a few petals on red tomato soup for contrast.

Most people think of nasturtium plants (Tropaeolum majus) as summer flowering annuals but they also are culinary herbs. Petals and leaves can be added to green salads both for the color as well as the peppery flavor. Separate the flower to sprinkle petals on cooked vegetables or keep whole to stuff with chicken salad. Create “capers” by soaking the green, immature seed pods in a brine solution.

There are many perennial culinary herbs that bloom for the bees so if you want to purchase the plant you may find them in the perennial section of the local garden center. You will find anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) in the perennial section but you can easily grow this from seed too. Only a few feet tall, anise hyssop blooms blue purple spikes in the summer. The foliage has an anise or licorice flavor and is used to brew herbal tea or minced to add to baked goods, ice cream, cordials, and vinegars. The individual florets can be added to fruit salad or sprinkled like a garnish on baked goods. According to 100 Plants to Feed the Bees: Provide a Healthy Habitat to Help Pollinators Thrive published by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, mass plantings of anise hyssop were established in parts of Midwest and Canada specifically as a honey plant. Beekeeper accounts from the 19th century claim that a single acre could provide ample forage for 100 colonies of bees.

chives

A member of the allium family, chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are really small bulbs. Although you can grow them from seed it is quicker to purchase a small plant or ask a friend for a division. These perennial plants emerge in March and by April you can start harvesting. Cut across or cut a few leaves whenever you want an onion flavor. In spring and summer, chives bloom edible purple flowers. The whole head can be used when making vinegar and individual florets can be added when an onion flavor is desired to green salads, vegetables, or pierogies.

Leafy (not bulbing) fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is marginally hardy in this area but if you can find a warm microclimate it may come back. In the summer it can grow to be quite large, 4 to 5 feet, and blooms yellow flowers. This plant not only attracts bees but just about every other insect including the black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. The foliage can be cut any time for a licorice flavor and the seeds can be eaten like licorice candy.

lavender

Lavender (Lavandula) is one of the most important honey plants in Europe. In our area we can grow several species. The one favored by chefs for best flavor is English lavender Lavandula angustifolia. This is really a woody shrub that blooms in early spring. It really needs well drained soil which is a challenge for us. An easier shrub lavender to grow (but maybe not as sweet) is Lavandula x intermedia or “lavandins.” They will bloom for a few weeks later in the summer. These plants tolerate our clay soil better and if you prune them correctly will last quite a few years. Lavender needs well drained soil and full sun. It is best to purchase a plant instead of starting from seed because it is quicker to get to the blooming stage. There are other types that we can grow for the summer (they are not hardy). Bees love all lavender so here is a Monrovia link to learn more about the types. You should be able to purchase plants at the local nursery or visit Blooming Hill Lavender Farm in Purcellville, VA, to see the many varieties in bloom and purchase quality plants.

Himalayan silver mint

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a small perennial plant with textured light green leaves and small white flowers. The word “melissa” means “bees” in Greek so you know the bees love this plant. Lemon balm emerges in April and can be harvested several times for the lemon scented leaves. The leaves can be used whenever you want to add lemon flavor – to your drinking water, tea, muffin mix, cookie dough, cake mixes, or melted butter. The leaves hold up well as a garnish on cakes and baked goods.

Most people are not aware that mint plants flower (Mentha spp.). Some flower more than others and are real bee magnets. My doublemint and spearmint plants flower a little in the summer but the grapefruit and strawberry mints flower quite a bit. I have seen Himalayan silver mint that has beautiful long purple flowers in public gardens so I have added that one to my wish list.

Mint must be grown in containers. Mint roots so easily you can probably ask a friend for a cutting. Of course, mint leaves have a wide variety of uses in the kitchen, from sweets to savory to drinks to candy.

bee balm (Monarda didyma)

Native to north America, bee balm (there’s a clue!) or Monarda spp. attracts bees as well as hummingbirds and butterflies. Monarda didyma is the one with red flowers and M. fistulosa is the one with purple flowers. Both are edible however the M. didyma is sweeter. Usually, the leaves are used for tea and the vivid red flowers can be used to add color and interest to baked goods, butters, and drinks. The individual florets can be put in ice cubes for punch bowls. M. fistulosa is more savory, more like thyme/oregano so it can be used to add that flavor to meats and vegetables. Although not used as much in the kitchen, Monarda punctata is a top honey plant with reported honey yields of up to 500 lbs. per acre according to the 100 Plants to Feed the Bees: Provide a Healthy Habitat to Help Pollinators Thrive.

Speaking of oregano, the book also states that oregano nectar (Origanum vulgare) has some of the highest documented sugar concentration of any plant, up to 76 percent. Honey produced from oregano is famous in parts of Greece as well as honey from thyme (Thymus spp.) with a sugar concentration of 27 to 45 percent. Oregano is a very hardy drought tolerant perennial that blooms small flowers in the summer. Bees love this plant which may remain green and above ground in the winter. The leaves can be harvested for that well known pizza oregano flavor – great for yeast breads, focaccia, pasta sauces, soups and stews. If you have a friend who has oregano just ask for a division, it roots easily.

Thyme is a low growing groundcover that does remain green and above ground in the winter. In the summer, thyme blooms small white flowers and is surrounded by bees and beneficial insects The leaves are also tiny and can be cut any time. The plant roots easily so if you have a friend who has thyme, just ask for a division or stem cutting. Thyme can be used for baked goods, vegetables, pasta, and breads. The small leaves can be sprinkled as a garnish on chowders or appetizers.

These are just a few herbs to get you started. For more information on herbs visit the Herb Society of America or join the local Potomac Unit. For information on protecting and supporting bees, visit the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; the Pollinator Partnership; and The Bee Conservancy. If you are interested in beekeeping, contact the Northern Virginia Beekeepers Association; or the Maryland State Beekeepers Association; or the DC Beekeepers Alliance.

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Curry Plants

Posted on June 12, 2026 | Leave a comment

Murraya at the Philadelphia Flower Show

People are often confused about curry plants. There are two plants with “curry” in the name, one is a culinary herb, and one is an ornamental plant that performs well here in Virginia.

The culinary herb is curry tree or curry leaf (Murraya koenigii), a southeast Asian small tree maturing at 10 to 15 feet, hardy to zone 10. We are not likely to find this for sale in this area, but it can be ordered online and grown in the home as a small plant. It is easy to find the foliage in Asian supermarkets. The leaves are used fresh but if you have too many you can freeze them. Although the leaves are used in curry dishes, chutneys, and soups, they do not have a strong curry fragrance. Interestingly, I found a few recipes online for making bread with chopped up curry leaves.

Helichrysum plant

The other curry plant is an ornamental garden plant called Helichrysum italicum. This plant has been in my garden for several years. Now in June it is about 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide and blooming. I love it because brushing against the shrub releases a lovely fragrance of curry spices, as if you were in an Indian restaurant. This plant is available at most nurseries in this area. It hails from Turkey and is a full sun, drought resistant, deer resistant, silvery shrub. I purposely bought it for a place in my garden that receives very little rain,  in a hot southern exposure area of my property. The plant is hardy to zone 7. So far, no animals or pests have bothered it. It is blooming little yellow flowers now, attracting beneficial insects. The flowers retain their shape and color, which make them ideal for dried flower arrangements and potpourris.

You can grow both — the Helichrysum outside and Murraya inside — but only cook with the Murraya!

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Growing Herbs in a Strawberry Jar

Posted on April 25, 2026 | Leave a comment
mint in strawberry jar

Mint in a strawberry jar

Growing herbs in a strawberry jar is easy — the trick is to plant herbs with similar light requirements. For full sun, try rosemary, sage, basil, thyme, oregano, or lavender. For shade, try chives, lemon balm, or parsley. Or alternatively, just one herb such as mint, which should be grown in a container instead of in the ground.

It is not necessary, but some gardeners like to insert a one- or two-inch diameter PVC pipe with holes drilled lengthwise to make watering easier. The pipe length should be one to two inches higher than the jar.

Purchase small herbs and a bag of potting mix. First take your herbs out of their containers and tease the roots apart. Sometimes you can actually tease the plant apart to get more than one.

Cover the top opening of the pipe so potting mix does not fall into the pipe. Insert the pipe into the center of the jar and add potting mix up until the first “hole” while keeping the pipe upright.

herbs in strawberry jar

herbs just planted in a strawberry jar

Push a plant through the hole, add soil on top of the roots in the jar, tamp down, and continue adding soil until the next hole. Plant each hole, in an upward spiral fashion, until you reach the top. At the top, add the last plant, which should be one that grows vertical and tall. Tamp the mix down so the soil level is a few inches below the jar’s rim. Pour water into the pipe.  If you are not using a pipe, water the top of the jar, gently. A little potting mix may become dislodged but over time, as the plants grow, everything will stay in place.

During the summer, make sure the plants are well-watered as most jars are made of terra cotta, which dries out quickly. Snip and harvest the herbs as needed.

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Salad Burnet Graces the Garden

Posted on March 18, 2026 | Leave a comment

Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor) is a beautiful perennial plant that also serves as both a medicinal and culinary herb. This relatively small plant grows to about 6-8 inches tall and a foot wide. It stays green above ground for quite a long time, dies back in the winter, and re-appears in the spring. The plant grows in a clump or rosette formation. The small summer flowers are very small on wiry stems — barely noticeable.

As a medicinal herb, salad burnet has astringent qualities and is used to staunch bleeding. As a culinary herb, the leaves can be added to a green salad, egg salad, herbal vinegar, butter, cheese spread, or as “lettuce” with sandwiches. The foliage can be added to lemonade and is a popular garnish for gin and tonic cocktails. It has a clean green flavor, much like cucumbers.

The foliage has a delicate, lacy appearance. When my daughter and I made a charcuterie board for Thanksgiving, we decorated the board with salad burnet. We also used the green lacy leaves as a contrast to red cranberries and white mashed potatoes.charcuterie board

I have been growing salad burnet for years, but not necessarily the same one. It does self-seed a little, just enough for volunteers to show up in odd places. I dig them up and put them where I know they will thrive. Over the years, I have learned that salad burnet prefers moist areas, in full or partial sun, depending on the amount of soil moisture. I now have a plant growing next to my cutting celery and lovage, all of which are moisture lovers.

You are not likely to find the plant in local nurseries, but you can purchase seed from online seed companies. Start seed indoors in the spring, under lights, much like starting tomato seeds. You can direct sow in the summer, but my birds always steal my seed before they germinate. Or if you have a friend who has salad burnet growing in the garden, ask for a division in the spring. Try growing salad burnet for its many uses but also as a pretty plant in the garden.

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Celebrate National Chocolate Mint Day!

Posted on February 19, 2026 | Leave a comment

Today is National Chocolate Mint Day and for gardeners that translates into the chocolate mint herb (Mentha x piperita forma citrata ‘Chocolate’). Mints are hardy perennials but they must be grown in containers. All mints will take over your garden if you plant them in the ground. These should be easy to find at your local garden center of if you have a friend who has the plant, ask for a cutting.

Chocolate mint has green, textured leaves and dark brown to purple stems. The leaves really do taste like chocolate mint. In my family, we make a syrup out of the leaves and pour it on fresh strawberries (see recipe below). We also put minced leaves in a store-bought brownie mix, chocolate cake, or chocolate chip cookie dough. The leaves are great for garnishing fruit salads, desserts, cakes, and cupcakes. They can be used fresh or dried for making tea, or adding to coffee or hot chocolate.

This is a great plant to have to make gifts. The stems root very easily in water so you can either pot up the rooted stems or just give cuttings to friends. We have given away pots of chocolate mint with recipe cards attached. Because the cost is minimal, pots of chocolate mint make great gifts for your children’s teachers.

Mints can be grown in dappled shade or morning sun and afternoon shade. If there is a dry period in the summer, make sure the container is receiving enough water. They grow to a few feet tall and flower in the summer. The small flowers attract beneficial insects, bees, and butterflies. Deer leave the plant alone.

Syrup

Put one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring just to a boil and when the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat, and add a large handful of chocolate mint leaves. Bruise with a wooden spoon by smashing leaves against the side of the pot. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. When cool, strain leaves out and pour syrup in glass jar. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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Making Agua de Jamaica with Roselle

Posted on February 15, 2026 | Leave a comment

Recently I was shopping at an Asian supermarket, and I found a bag of “flor de Jamaica,” which is dried hibiscus flowers. These are not really flowers but the calyces or modified leaf bracts of a tropical hibiscus plant called roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). The bag was only a few dollars so I purchased it to make a pitcher of agua de Jamaica, also known as agua fresca or Jamaican water. This refreshing Caribbean drink is sweet yet tart and can be used as a base for other types of drinks.

Roselle is commonly grown in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean islands. It is also called sorrel, Jamaica sorrel, Queensland jelly plant, and Florida cranberry. Roselle blooms yellow okra-shaped flowers that only last a day and afterwards, the calyx, the red part under the blossom, becomes enlarged and envelops the fruit or seeds inside.

Usually, garden centers in my area do not sell this plant but seeds can be obtained from online seed companies. Because of roselle’s long growing season, seeds should be sown indoors under lights in April, just like growing tomatoes. Seedlings are moved outside in May after the last frost. They need full sun and water if it has not rained. By the end of the summer, the plants are about 4 to 5 feet high and a few feet wide.

Autumn’s short days and long nights initiate flowering; however, our first frost can occur in late October. There are only about 2 months of flowering and calyx production. That is why it is best to start seeds indoors and to purchase early maturing strains such as Southern Exposure Seed Exchanges’ Thai Red.

The calyces should be picked when ripe which encourages the plants to keep flowering (like growing beans). The more you harvest, the more you get, so you check the plants often in September and October.roselle

After cutting the calyx off the branch, separate the red fleshy part, which will probably separate into five parts, from the inner green seed part. Throw away (or compost) the inner green seed part. The calyces can be used fresh or dried.

The calyces are used in tea or beverages, dried or fresh. They are used for jams and jellies (very high in pectin), syrup, sorbets, tarts, baked goods, and chutneys. In fact, if you think of how cranberries are used in the kitchen, roselle calyces are used much the same way.

Roselle is high in vitamin C, calcium, and anthocyanins. Roselle tea is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that may help reduce high blood pressure. The leaves and flowers also are edible, but I have not tried them yet.

To make the agua de Jamaica, you can use fresh or dried calyces. I took a cup from the bag of “flor de Jamaica,” and washed them in cool water first to get rid of dust and debris. I then put them in 4 cups of boiling water in a saucepan, reduced the heat, and let them simmer for 15 minutes. I removed the saucepan from the heat and let them steep for 20 minutes. Then I strained them out and put one cup sugar in the warm liquid so the sugar would dissolve quickly. I poured this mixture in a pitcher and added 4 cups of cold water. This is done to taste of course, you can make it sweeter if you want. The hibiscus expands with the boiling water plus it stains so be careful. The liquid is a beautiful red color.  My first thought when I saw the red liquid was that it could be used as a natural dye for Easter eggs!After the liquid cools, pour on ice cubes in a glass for a nice refreshing drink. Keep the pitcher in the fridge or freeze some of it. I poured some liquid in a silicon mold of small heart shapes. I then added the red, heart-shaped ice cubes to a glass of Sprite which adds a dash of red and roselle flavor to the Sprite. But the red ice cubes would have also worked well a mocktail or punch or even an ice tea.  When you make agua de Jamaica, you begin to see all types of possibilities like adding mint or spices or combining with lemonade or adding to tea.

Try growing the roselle plant this year or purchasing a bag of dried hibiscus flowers to make agua de Jamaica and explore the many possibilities of this tropical hibiscus plant.

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New Culinary Herbs of Interest to Grow in 2026

Posted on January 31, 2026 | Leave a comment

Spotted Hoja Santa at a botanical garden a few years ago and put it on my wish list

Every year, I write a short article about new culinary herbs I have seen from reading more than 25 seed/plant catalogs (print or online). For this article, I am focusing on a narrow definition of herbs. Many plants could be considered herbs, including edible flowers. Herbs are plants that are of use to humans, either for culinary, medicinal, aromatherapy, cosmetic, and even coloring (dyes).

Also, “new” can be defined in different ways. The item may be new to the company’s inventory but that does not mean it would be a new plant for an experienced gardener. To me “new” is: “Wow! This herb is really different from all the other ones — I have not seen this before, and I think you might be interested.” Obviously, my list is not all new herbs on the market but a selection of “herbs of interest” – suggestions for you to try as you explore your herb gardening adventures.

Adaptive Seeds has a nice selection of herb seeds including three different Asian or celery leaf types (Apium graveolens) and a red foliaged epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides). New to me is alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum). Apparently, this is a very old herb, possibly going back to Alexander the Great. The Adaptive Seeds website says that ancient Romans ate leaves, stems, roots, and flower buds as vegetables. The leaves are comparable to a mild flavored parsley, tasty in a salad or used as an herb. Also called black lovage (love the name), alexanders is a biennial with challenging seed germination. Sounds like a perfect candidate for winter sowing.

Alexanders, which looks like parsley. Photo courtesy of Adaptive Seeds

Burpee is celebrating the nation’s 250th year with its colonial dooryard herb garden package, created in partnership with the American Horticultural Society. This collection has 8 seed packets: Italian parsley, chives, lemon balm, anise hyssop, dill, sweet fennel, German chamomile, and nasturtium. Also new is strawberry mint seeds and plants (Mentha spp.) and Monteverde compact sweet basil seeds and plants (Ocimum basilicum). A nice thing about Burpee is that one can mix and match plants of herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants so you don’t always have to grow from seed if you do not feel comfortable with that.

Experimental Farm Network does not have a paper catalog but going through its website is like flipping pages of the old Sears Wish Book. My sister and I used to pour over that Christmas-themed catalog full of toys, picking what we “wished” for from Santa. I do that with EFN’s website – constantly picking out plants I wish to grow here. New this year are Ukrainian dill (Anethum graveolens), Flatspine Szechuan peppercorn (Zanthoxylum simulans), Kkaenip (Korean green shiso) and Virginia Beach feral shiso (both Perilla frutescens), Ein Abu-El-Harth Jarjir arugula (Eruca sativa), and Abu Al-Rub coriander (Coriandrum sativum) (both from Palestine). You may think that these herbs are not new – we all grow dill and coriander – but these are from other countries so they may taste or perform better here in the United States.

True Love Seeds also has two new herbs from another country: Marzeh, an Iranian summer savory (Satureja hortensis), and Gishniz, an Iranian cilantro (Coriandrum sativum). Aren’t you just dying to know if they taste better?

Calendula Strawberry Blonde, photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com

There are always new basils on the market, partly because of downy mildew. If you have a downy mildew problem with your basil, look to Johnny’s Selected Seeds. They are always ahead of the curve when it comes to resistant basils. This year they have a purple foliage basil called Doron, part of the Prospera ® active DMR line of basils. This plant has large, 3-to-4-inch glossy cupped dark purple red leaves and is highly resistant to downy mildew and resistant to fusarium wilt.

Another new basil is Treviso, a 2026 All-America Selections vegetable winner. It is about 15 inches tall, resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew, and the leaves stay tender longer and maintain an excellent quality late into the season. It is slow to flower and exhibits vigor and heat tolerance. Currently it is only available through True Leaf Market, an online seed company.

And another new basil is Basil Bonsai, a fine-leaf, compact Greek basil that is part of the Kitchen Minis Collection. The Kitchen Minis collection is a line of potted veggies and herbs that can grow on the counter near a sunny window. Both Park Seed and Territorial Seed Company are offering Basil Bonsai.

Surprisingly, Park Seed is selling an unusual culinary herb that is of interest to me but I do not know if it will grow well here in Virginia. If you look at the flowers of Mertensia ‘Silver Ocean’ (Mertensia maritima), you will see its relation to Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) which does grow well in Virginia. But if you look at the gray green foliage that thrives in coastal areas, you wonder if the plant will perform well during Virginia’s hot and sultry summers. Also called oyster leaf, the foliage is supposed to taste like oysters and is used by high end chefs on the west coast.

Mizuna Pinky Pop, photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds also sells oyster leaf seeds although their variety is not labeled ‘Silver Ocean.’ They do have a new basil called Spice Boys Globe, a compact, small leaf variety. But the big surprises are their calendula varieties (Calendula officinalis). With their many narrow, quilled petals, Yellow Porcupine and Orange Porcupine do not look like calendula at all. Strawberry Blonde, from breeder Frank Morton, does not look like a calendula either with its unique color palette of yellow, pink, and cerise.

Equally different are the new mizunas (Brassica rapa), which are spicy and pungent leafy greens in the mustard family. They can be called a green or an herb but with these new colors they also can serve as a garnish. Check out the new Pinky Pop, which has bright pink stems and green leaves. Benigoromo has purple red stems and foliage, and Japanese red mustard mizuna has highly serrated burgundy foliage on green stems.

Usually, I purchase seeds but this year I ordered a plant from Territorial Seed Company: the Hoja Santa plant (Piper auritum). It is new to their inventory and new to me. Also known as Yerba Santa, Mexican Pepperleaf, and the Root Beer Plant, this tender perennial has large green heart-shaped leaves that can be used to wrap food or for cooking. According to Territorial Seed Company, the flavor profile is “pepper, anise, eucalyptus, nutmeg, mint, tarragon, and a bold hit of sassafras giving it its root beer nickname.” I am looking forward to receiving it in May when it warmer. If anyone has any suggestions on how to Hoya Santa in the kitchen, please comment below. Or if I missed a new herb, please submit your suggestions.

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Fantastic Fennel

Posted on December 26, 2025 | 2 comments

fennel in the summer

I grow fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, in my Virginia garden for many reasons. Fennel is easy to grow from seed but you can purchase a small plant in the spring at local garden centers. Fennel can be a showstopper at five feet tall with many yellow blooms. Sometimes, the plant bends from the weight to weave among the perennials and shrubs. The foliage mingles with the pumpkin vines on the ground, rests on top of the chrysanthemums, and peaks through colorful zinnias.

Throughout the summer, I harvest the foliage for use in the kitchen. The anise flavored leaves add flavor to fish and chicken dishes and root vegetables. They are perfect for green salads, soups, eggs, and tuna fish sandwiches.

In the summer, the fennel blooms large, star-burst like structures, made up of many small yellow flowers which attract beneficial insects and pollinators. The flowers are edible so they make a great garnish on deviled eggs. Sometimes, I cut the flower heads for floral arrangements but I always leave some to go to seed.

In the fall, I clip the seed heads and put them in a paper bag. The seeds have medicinal qualities (the foliage does not) and are often served in restaurants to help with digestion and to freshen the breath. Eating the seeds or making a tea from the seeds can relieve flatulence, bloating, gas, indigestion, cramps, and muscle spasms. Fennel seeds are called “meeting seeds” because when the Puritans had long church sermons they chewed on the seeds to suppress hunger and fatigue.

fennel with zinnias

Seeds can be used for baking sweets, breads, and crackers, or in sausage, or herbal vinegars and pickling. The seeds have a much sweeter anise flavor as if they were sugar-coated. For me it is like eating small candies.

I also grow fennel for the caterpillar form of the black swallowtail butterflies. The caterpillars love to eat the foliage and it makes me happy to grow food for them and to support the butterfly population.

Sometimes the fennel comes back the next year, it really depends on the winter. I have heard that in warmer climates it gets out of control but in my zone 7 garden, it has not been an issue. After a hard freeze, I cut back the old fennel stalks revealing new foliage at the base. In December, the new foliage is just as lush and green, providing a nice garnish for holiday meals.

fennel seeds in the fall with the mums

Fennel prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade and need well-drained soil. Treat them like summer annuals and sow seeds every year.

fennel in December

I grow the “leafy” type, Foeniculum vulgare. I have grown the bulbing type, Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce, which is shorter with a bulbous base. It is harvested for the bulb before it flowers and sets seed. The bulb is sliced fresh for salads or cooked with fish and vegetables.

Bronze fennel is a popular ornamental type which grows like the leafy fennel but the foliage is dark bronze, not bright green. Bronze fennel is edible, it can be used in the kitchen but not as tasty. Think of it as a garnish.

Try growing fennel in your garden. You will be pleasantly surprised at its versatility.

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