Culinary & Household Herbs

is a species of succulent plant that thrives in dry, hot regions of the world. Aloe vera is a stemless or very hort-stemmed succulent plant that can grow as high as three feet tall. The leaves are thick and fleshy, reen to grey-green, with some varieties showing white flecks on the upper and lower stem surfaces. Yellow flowers may grow on outdoor aloe plants, but not on indoor potted aloe plants. Aloe plants are made up of 95 percent water, and even a slight frost will freeze them and turn them to mush. Aloe barbadensis is the type of

Other Names — Anis de Chine, Anís Estrellado, Anis Étoilé, Anis Étoilé Chinois, Aniseed Stars, AnisiStellati Fructus, Ba Jiao Hui, Badiana, Badiane, Badiane de Chine, Bajiao, Chinese Anise, ChineseStar Anise, Eight-Horned Anise, Eight Horns, and Illicium verum. USDA Zones- 8–11; If the temperature falls below 15F, your plant will die. Therefore, If you live in thenorth, you should avoid growing this tree. Growing star anise is easy in subtropical climates. It is adorned with beautiful flowers and fruits thatare star-shaped. It is a tropical evergreen tree, tall between 5-10 m. Star anise has large glossy greenfoliage, its white flowers

Basil plants are one of the most popular herbs to grow and also one of the easiest. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a member of the mint family. It is closely identified with Italian cooking, although it is originally from India. The extremely aromatic leaves also have a delightful variety of flavors, from the slightly lemony-mint of sweet basil to cinnamon and licorice. Leaf colors span from rich green to deep purple, with smooth or crinkled leaves. The flowers are insignificant but very popular with bees. All types of basil grow easily in warm, sunny weather. The leaves are

Delicious, fragrant bay leaves come from the bay laurel, a perennial shrub or tree with pale yellowflowers and black fruit, attractive olive-to- reddish bark, and dark leathery leaves. Bay leaves are incredibly versatile. The herb’s flavor complements rice dishes, soups and stews, Catalan and Greek recipes, and Creole cuisine. Bay leaf also works in pantries to repel grain beetles and silverfish, and it lends its aroma to candles, holiday wreaths, and potpourris. Common Names: Bay Leaf, Bay laurel, Grecian laurel, Sweet bay, and California laurelPlant Type and Size: Evergreen Tree/Shrub (trees can grow up to 25 feet). Hardiness Zones

The bergamont herbs are perennial plants native to North America and are members of the mint family Lamiaceae. The blossoms, appearing in dense clusters stem terminal, last from July through September and make the plant an attractive addition to gardens. Members of the bergamont family come in a variety of colors – red, purple, or white. They can also have dark purple dots on the lower lips of their corollas. The individual flowers are tubular which is perfect for hummingbirds while bees and butterflies attract as well. Bergamont varieties have been valued for ornamental, culinary, and medicinal uses. The

Borage is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. The flowers are perfect with five narrow, triangular-pointed petals which are most often blue, although pink flowers are sometimes observed. White-flowered types are also cultivated. The blue flower is genetically dominant over the white flower. Usually, borage grows roughly 40 cm (16 in) wide, but if the soil is fertile, the plant can grow to 60 cm (24 in). The height may grow 1 to 2 ft. tall. Traditionally, borage was cultivated for culinary, ornamental, and medicinal uses. Its other commonnames are: Starflower, Bee fodder, Bee-bread, Burrage, Common

Calendula is a great way to attract pollinators to your garden. It has much higher pollen levels thanits cousin, the marigold, making it more attractive to bees and butterflies. But it will also attract beneficial insects like lacewing and hoverfly. The best of its herbal medicine is stored in the sticky green bracts so be sure to use the full head in herbal stocks, teas, bone broths and soups.

Caraway is a herbaceous biennial plant in the family Apiaceae. It has finely divided,feathery leaves with thread-like divisions that grow on 8 to 12 in. (20–30 cm) stems. The main flowerstem is 16 to 24 in. (40–60 cm) tall, with small white or pink flowers in umbels. Caraway fruits, calledseeds, are 1/16 in.(2 mm) long with a crescent shape and five pale ridges. The first season it forms a rosette of leaves 8-10 inches tall that resembles a carrot with a long taproot. The second season the plant grows to 2-3 feet tall and produces a large, flat-topped flower

Cardamom is one of the most expensive and unique spices in the world. If you live in a very warm, humid climate (or in US Department of Agriculture zones 10 to 12), you can grow your own cardamom plant. Plants grow 6-10 feet tall (1.8-3.0 m)

It’s a member of the mint family, it’s easy to grow, is a herbaceous perennial andthrives in a wide range of North America. The Nepeta cataria plant, more commonly known ascatnip, belongs to the Lamiaceae plant family. It’s famous for its euphoric effect on cats and medicinal uses for people. It is a bushy, branching herb that grows to 20 to 39 in. (50 to 100cm tall.Like many mints, its stems are square in cross section, and its leaves have a soft texture, beingcovered by minute hairs.