Spring Garden Market Herb Varieties for 2012
Listed below are the wide variety of herb seedlings that we will be offering at the Spring Garden Market.
Printer-friendly PDF of herb varieties list
| Herb | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Basil Dark Opal Ocimum basilicum |
Annual | Mid-early upright variety with bushy foliage producing mid-sized smooth leaves. Dark purple color with intense aroma. |
| Basil Italian Cameo Ocimum basilicum |
Annual | Closely packed, luscious big leaves on a compact plant. Rich, traditional basil flavor. |
| Basil Italian Genovese Ocimum basilicum |
Annual | Almond-shaped, shiny dark green leaves. Strong flavor. |
| Basil Italian Large Leaf Ocimum basilicum |
Annual | Large leaf variety. Great for use in fresh salads where small leaf varieties are too fine. |
| Basil Italian Pesto Ocimum basilicum |
Annual | Glossy dark green leaves. Zesty flavor. This variety is the classic Italian basil for making pesto. |
| Basil Lemon Ocimum basilicum citriodorum |
Annual | Lemon basil has medium-sized green leaves with a lemony touch. |
| Basil Mrs. Burns’ Lemon Ocimum basilicum citriodorum |
Annual | Saved for generations for its strong lemon flavor and fragrance, has a robust carefree nature in the garden and bigger leaves than any other lemon basil variety. |
| Basil Napoletano Ocimum basilicum |
Annual | Wider, more crinkled leaves than most basils. Fragrant, tender leaves. Mild, sweet, mellow flavor. |
| Basil Sweet Thai Ocimum basilicum |
Annual | Exotic, aromatic flavor is excellent in Asian dishes. |
| Basil Thai Siam Queen Ocimum basilicum citriodorum |
Annual | Leaves 3" to 4" long by 1.5" to 2" wide. Sweet and spicy flavor and licorice basil aroma. |
| Bay Tree Laurus nobilis |
Tree or shrub | Very aromatic foliage. Can tolerate some drought once established. Used in soups, stews, meat, poultry, and sauces. |
| Borage Blue Borago officinalis |
Annual | Large plants produce hundreds of small, edible flowers with a mild, cucumber-like flavor. Great in salads. |
| Celery Amsterdam Seasoning Apium graveolens |
Biennial - grow as annual | Plant forms glossy, intensely celery-flavored sprays of leaves rather than stalks. |
| Chamomile German Matricaria recutita |
Annual | Apple-scented flowers for soothing tea, potpourris and dried flower arrangements. Edible fresh petals make a lovely addition to salads. |
| Chervil French Anthriscus cerefolium |
Annual | Lacy leaves provide a subtle flavor and aroma of parsley and anise to many culinary dishes. |
| Chives Chinese Garlic Jiu Cai, Gau Choy Allium tuberosum |
Perennial | Leaves, flower buds and flowers have mild garlic flavor. |
| Chives Common Allium schoenoprasum |
Perennial | Edible flowers and delicate onion-flavored foliage. |
| Chives Fine Leaf Allium schoenoprasum |
Perennial | Leaves are a slender shape and don't get coarse or tough with age. Mounding plant with lilac-pink blossoms. Delicate onion flavor. |
| Cilantro Santo Coriandrum sativum |
Annual | Foliage (cilantro) and seeds (coriander). Fresh cilantro leaves have an intense and tangy flavor. Santo is a slow-bolting variety. |
| Cilantro Slow Bolt Coriandrum sativum |
Annual | Fresh cilantro leaves are spicy and pungent. Spicy blossoms are also edible. Slow to bolt. |
| Dill Bouquet Anethum graveolens |
Annual | Foliage is superior for sprinkling on veggies and meats. Early, large seed heads, excellent for pickling. |
| Dill Dukat Leafy Anethum graveolens |
Annual | Sweet, mellow dill. Fine blue-green leaves hold freshness longer than other varieties. |
| Fennel Florence Finocchio Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum |
Annual | Fennel bulbs are succulent, sweet, licorice-flavored. The delicately flavored feathery foliage is an excellent garnish to culinary dishes. |
| Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum |
Annual | Sprouts, leaves, or ground seeds add an exotic spice flavor to salads, sandwiches and Indian cuisine. |
| Hibiscus Zinger Herbal Tea Hibiscus sabdariffa |
Annual | Herbal tea plant with lobed leaves. Pick and dry spent blossoms to make a berry aroma, cranberry-flavored tea. |
| Hyssop Lavender Agastache foeniculum |
Perennial | Edible lavender-colored flowers and edible leaves are used for iced and hot teas. They can be tossed into salads. Also known as anise hyssop and licorice mint. |
| Lavender Hidcote Blue Lavandula angustifolia |
Shrub | Deep blue flowers, compact uniform growth and one of the hardiest species of lavender plants. This species is the best candidate as a culinary herb which contains less camphor. |
| Lemon Verbena Aloysia triphylla |
Shrub | Aromatic shrub with tiny flowers and a sparse growth habit. Lemon-scented leaves used to flavor teas and iced drinks. |
| Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus |
Tender perennial | Lemon-scented leaves are used for seasoning a wide variety of cuisines. |
| Marjoram Sweet Origanum majorana |
Perennial | Complex sweet yet pungent flavor. A little milder than Greek oregano. |
| Mint Apple Mentha suaveolens |
Perennial | Use in cooking, jelly or tea. Grow mint in containers to keep them from spreading uncontrolled. |
| Mint Coyote Monardella villosa |
Perennial | Grey-green foliage and light purple clusters of flowers in summer. Use for tea. |
| Mint Spearmint Mentha spicata |
Perennial | The best mint for cooking. Sweet aroma graces your garden. Grow mints in containers to keep them from spreading uncontrolled. |
| Nasturtium Mounding variety mix Tropaeolum majus |
Annual | Mounding plant with lily pad-shaped leaves. Edible flowers and young leaves have a peppery flavor. |
| Oregano Greek Origanum vulgare hirtum |
Perennial | Excellent traditional oregano flavor. Dark green leaves and white flowers. |
| Parsley Dark Moss Curled Petroselinum crispum |
Biennial | Tightly curled dark green leaves are best used fresh. Sweet peppery-flavored leaves. |
| Parsley Italian Dark Green Flat Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum |
Biennial | Superior parsley flavor. Very high nutritional value and freshens breath. |
| Rosemary Spice Island Rosmarinus officinalis |
Perennial | Erect growth habit. Drought tolerant once established. Excellent variety for culinary purposes. |
| Sage Broadleaf Salvia officinalis |
Perennial | Semi-woody shrub with grey-green foliage. Surface of foliage has pebbly texture. |
| Sage Clary Salvia sclarea |
Biennial | Large hairy, triangular leaves. Foliage first year; pale lilac flowers second year. |
| Sage Golden Variegated Salvia officinalis |
Perennial | Gold and green foliage with purple flowers. Use fresh or dried. Very drought tolerant when established. |
| Sage Italian Aromatic Salvia officinalis |
Perennial | Enjoy its warm, complex flavor fresh or dried. Soft grey-green leaves and pretty purple flowers. |
| Savory Summer Satureja hortensis |
Annual | Highly aromatic plant has a sweet yet peppery thyme flavor that enhances the taste of many foods. |
| Sesame White Sesamum indicum |
Annual | Tropical plant likes long hot summers and well-drained soil. Harvest seeds before the seed pods burst open. |
| Shiso Perilla Red (Akashiso) Perilla frutescens var. crispa |
Annual | Flavor is curry-like and a combination of cumin, cilantro, and/or parsley. Edible flowers and 3 to 6 week-old sprouts can be used as a tasty garnish. |
| Sorrel Large Leaf Rumex acetosa |
Perennial | This species is garden sorrel. Add to culinary dishes for seasoning. Sorrel has a lemon-like flavor. Easy to grow in cool months. |
| Stevia Stevia rebaudiana |
Tender perennial | Herb used as a non-caloric sweetener. Fresh leaves or dried leaves add natural sweetness to drinks and dishes. |
| Tarragon French Artemisia dracunculus |
Perennial | True tarragon that does not propagate from seed. Spicy anise flavor. |
| Tarragon Mexican Tagetes lucida |
Perennial | Bushy upright plant with green leaves that grow all spring and summer. Flavor is similar to French tarragon. |
| Thyme French Thymus vulgaris |
Perennial | Softly mounding plants of cascading gray-green leaves. Thyme is easy to freeze or dry. |