As an avid gardener, I love planting perennial herbs in my garden. Not only are they low maintenance, but they provide a continuous supply of fresh herbs year after year.
Perennial herbs are hardy plants that can survive winter and regrow the next season. This saves time, money, and effort spent replanting herbs annually.
If you’re looking to incorporate perennial herbs into your garden, here are 20 excellent options that will come back every year:
Thyme
Thyme is one of the most popular perennial herbs, suited for both culinary and ornamental uses. This Mediterranean native thrives in hot, sunny spots with well-drained soil.
The aromatic leaves can be used fresh or dried to season meats, stews, and vegetables. Thyme also produces pretty flowers that attract pollinators.
Sage
Sage is a hardy, woody perennial herb with thick silvery-green leaves. It imparts an earthy, savory flavor perfect for seasoning meats, especially pork and poultry.
Sage thrives in zones 4-8 and appreciates well-drained soil and full sun Prune periodically to maintain shape and productivity,
Oregano
A staple of Italian and Greek cuisine oregano grows vigorously spreading up to 18 inches wide. Its pungent, spicy flavor is perfect for pasta sauces, pizza, roasted veggies, and more.
Opt for Greek oregano for maximum flavor. Plant in full sun and trim regularly to prevent flowering and promote bushy growth.
Mint
Cool and refreshing, mint comes in many tempting varieties like peppermint and spearmint. Mint grows rapidly, so contain it by planting in pots to prevent invasion.
Use the aromatic leaves to make tea, cocktails, jellies, and desserts. Mint thrives in moist soil and partial shade.
Chives
Delicate chives lend a light oniony flavor to dishes. The grass-like leaves emerge early, signaling the start of the growing season. Chives also produce pretty purple flowers.
Plant chives along borders or in containers in full sun to partial shade. They will continue spreading and producing year after year.
Lavender
Beloved for its relaxing fragrance lavender offers both culinary and ornamental appeal. Use the aromatic flowers in sachets or baked goods and teas. Lavender thrives in hot sunny spots with well-drained soil.
Rosemary
This woody herb has needle-like leaves and a piney, lemony flavor, perfect for seasoning roasted meats and vegetables.
Rosemary prefers hot climates but can survive winters in zones 7-10, especially with mulch or straw protection. Prune periodically to maintain shape.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a compact perennial herb ideal for borders, pots, and along walkways. The refreshing lemon scent and flavor make it perfect for teas, fish dishes, and desserts.
Pinch back regularly to prevent flowering and promote bushy growth. Lemon balm spreads vigorously, so contain or cut back after flowering.
Tarragon
Tarragon has long, slender leaves with a distinct licorice-anise flavor. It’s ideal for seasoning poultry, seafood, vegetables, and eggs. French tarragon offers the best flavor.
Plant in well-drained soil in full sun. Tarragon spreads slowly, so it rarely needs containment.
Fennel
All parts of fennel are edible, from its crisp bulbs to fragrant fronds and seeds. The mild anise flavor is perfect for seafood, pasta, roasted veggies, and more.
Fennel thrives in sunny spots with fertile, well-drained soil. Allow it to self-sow for a continual supply.
Catnip
Beloved by cats, this mint family member makes an excellent, spreading ground cover. The leaves have a mild minty flavor great for teas.
Pinch back flowers to promote leafy growth. Catnip thrives in average soil with sun to partial shade.
Greek Oregano
Boasting an intensely aromatic, spicy flavor, Greek oregano is considered the ultimate for culinary uses. This variety is more tender than common oregano, thriving in zones 5-9.
Plant in well-drained soil and full sun. Pinch back flowers to encourage leaf production.
Lemon Verbena
Lemon verbena is treasured for its intense lemony fragrance and flavor. Use the leaves for teas, seafood, roasted meats and veggies, and desserts.
This herb thrives in loose, fertile soil and full sun with excellent drainage. Prune spring and fall to maintain shape.
Marjoram
Similar to oregano but sweeter and more delicate, marjoram is a perfect complement to meats, tomato sauces, and vegetables. Pinch flowers regularly to encourage bushy growth.
Marjoram thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, spreading to form a dense clump. It needs replacing every 2-3 years as plants get woody.
Lovage
Lovage imparts a celery-like flavor perfect for soups, stews, and seafood. All parts are edible, including seeds, leaves, and roots. It grows quite large, so give it room to spread.
Lovage needs consistent moisture and partial shade. Cut back flower stalks to boost leaf production.
French Sorrel
Valued for its sharp, lemony flavor, French sorrel adds tang to salads, soups, sauces, and fish dishes. It thrives in moist, fertile soil and tolerates partial shade.
French sorrel spreads vigorously via rhizomes and self-sown seeds, so ample spacing and containment are musts.
Winter Savory
Winter savory offers a peppery flavor similar to thyme. Use it to season beans, meat, seafood, and vegetables. Pinch back flowers to maintain vigor and promote bushy growth.
This semi-evergreen herb thrives in hot, dry spots with average to poor soil. Replace plants every 2-3 years once they become woody.
Hyssop
Hyssop is loved for its sweet, minty flavor and pretty blue flowers. Use it to make teas, season meat and game dishes, or make hyssop-infused vinegar.
Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Hyssop self-sows readily, so pinch off spent flowers unless you want more plants.
Comfrey
Comfrey has large, fuzzy leaves and small bell-shaped flowers. It was traditionally used medicinally to aid wound healing but also makes an ornamental groundcover.
The mucilaginous leaves impart a mild cucumber flavor and can be added to salads or cooked like spinach. Comfrey spreads vigorously via self-sown seeds and root fragments.
Angelica
Grown for its candied stems and unique flavor, angelica thrives in partially shady, moist spots. The leaves, stems, roots and seeds can be used medicinally or in liqueurs.
Containing this towering beauty is a must unless you have ample room for spreading. Cut back spent flowers to encourage reblooming.
With proper care, these hardy perennial herbs will continue producing for many years. Incorporate a selection into your garden for a continuous harvest of fresh herbs.
Mint, Of Course, But Conditions Apply Peppermint. Photo: manfredrichter on Pixabay
When it comes to vigorous perennial herbs, it would be impossible to ignore mints. However, their reputation for being very invasive sometimes puts them on the black list (with good reason, I have to admit). But, when you’re a fan of tabbouleh salads—and of mojitos!—, mint is a must.
In my garden, it’s the only perennial that I don’t grow in the ground. Mine grow in a huge antique aluminum cooking pot, with a hole in the bottom, placed on a concrete slab. That way, the mint simply can’t escape, not even through the drainage holes. I placed the container in a semi-shaded location where snow accumulates in winter. Result: my mints do survive the winter there (except this last year, ‘cause, baby, it was very cold outside). Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) and spearmint (Mentha spicata) are the most successful in this context. Both grow in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9.
Common Oregano A common oregano plant, before flowers appear. Photo: HansLinde on Pixabay.
Oregano is a superb mounded ball-shaped plant about 18 inches (45 cm) in height and diameter, covered with small rounded leaves. Most sources list common oregano (Origanum vulgare) as hardy to USDA zones 3 to 9. And it has certainly proved hardy for me. However, it’s not the one with the best flavor.
That would be Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum). My reference sources claim it’s just as hardy, supposedly zones 3 to 9, but in my garden, it doesn’t know that it’s even hardy to zone 4! Instead, it behaves like an annual herb and never comes back the following year.
What can I say? That’s the kind of situation all gardeners have to live with. There are plants like that. For unknown reasons, they just refuse to give us satisfaction.
You can tell the two varieties appart by the color of the flowers: pink for common oregano, and white for Greek oregano. Do be careful, though! Common oregano has very pretty blooms, but you have to deadhead (remove the spent flower stalks) quickly, as soon as the blossoms fade, to keep it from going to seed. It self-sows far too prolifically!
I really also have to mention golden oregano (Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’), with its delightful lemon yellow leaves, also perennial and hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9. It forms a very nice low clump, about 9 inches (20 cm) in height, at the base of my tarragon, by the edge of my perennial herb border. For flavor, it really isn’t the best. But for ornamentation, it’s perfect!
HERBS FOR LIFE: 10 Perennial Herbs to Plant ONCE that GROW FOREVER
FAQ
Do any herbs grow back every year?
Perennial herbs like sage, thyme, lavender, chives and mint do not need to be replanted each year. But annuals like basil and cilantro will not survive an Iowa winter – so they must be replanted each spring. To make matters more confusing, dill, fennel, and a few other annual herbs reseed each year.
Do rosemary and thyme come back every year?
Plus, they are so easy to grow, in the ground or in pots, even for me. Many herbs are perennials, which means they will grow back year after year (sage, thyme, rosemary). Others are annuals and have to be planted every year to grow (parsley, cilantro, dill).
What is the mother of all herbs?
It is not only a remedy for female disorders or indigestion, but also relaxes and can help with sleeping problems. In the light of all this versatility, it’s clear why in medieval times mugwort became known as the mother of all herbs.
Will basil come back every year?
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Annual Nature:Basil is considered a tender annual, meaning it thrives in warm weather and dies back in the fall or winter when temperatures drop.
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Life Cycle:It grows quickly, produces leaves, flowers, and then seeds, after which the plant dies.
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Reseeding:If you allow the basil plant to flower and set seeds, some of those seeds may germinate and sprout new basil plants the following year.
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Indoor Growth:You can also grow basil indoors year-round, but it will still eventually flower and die, even indoors.
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Propagating basil:You can propagate basil from cuttings to ensure you have a basil plant all year round.
What herbs grow back every year?
Perennial herbs are herbs that live for more than two years, they’re different from annual and biennial herbs. Related read: 10 Edible Perennial Vegetables That Grows Back Every Year 1. Sage 2. Rosemary 3. Parsley 4. Thyme 5. Mint 6. Bay 7. Chives 8. Lavender 9. Oregano 10. Sorrel 11. Cilantro/Coriander 12. Tarragon 13. Chamomile 14. Lemon Balm 15.
What healthy seasonings can I use this new year?
All natural seasonings are healthy, like onions, garlic, herbs, dried herbs and their mixtures. My favorites are thyme, rosemary, garlic, onion, freshly ground pepper and curry.
Do perennial herbs come back every year?
By planting perennial herbs, you can have a steady supply of homegrown goodness right outside your door. Perennial herbs come back year after year, saving you money, time, and effort. Let’s explore my very favorite perennial herbs — plus 2 bonus annual re-seeders that behave as perennials — to add to your garden! Why Grow Perennial Herbs?
What herbs are not sold elsewhere?
I always find unusual varieties of culinary and medicinal herbs that aren’t sold elsewhere. What herbs are perennials? Many herbs in the mint family are perennials, including all types of mint, anise hyssop, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, lemon balm, and lime balm.
Do you plant herbs once a year?
You plant them once, and you get to enjoy them year after year! Perennial herbs, in particular, are a favorite in my garden because they’re easy to care for and can fit in small spaces, making it possible to grow them on window sills, in container gardens, or squeezed in between other plants.
What are the most popular perennial herbs?
As we go through this list, you’ll realize that a lot of the most popular perennial herbs are members of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Anise hyssop is no exception, although it’s not known for its minty flavor. As the name suggests, its scent leans more towards anise or licorice. Anise hyssop is very decorative, with purple bottlebrush flowers.