Selected Herbs: Planting and Use

Planting herbs can be a hassle if you don’t have all the information you need. Here we break down a few basics for some popular herbs to plant with success in North Florida’s climate. Understanding how tall the plant will get and how much space it needs will assure you have better results. Adhering to the plants shade and heat tolerances is another necessity in assuring full growth. Check out the ones we have below and don’t forget to download the full guide here, or down below.

Basil African Blue / Oci-mum x ‘Kasar’

Tender upright perennial. Prefers regular watering, warm temperatures and full sun but can take light shade. Hardier than most other basils and seems to be more resistant to heat, humidity and drought. Use in tomato and seafood dishes, salads, and cocktails, and use the flowers as garnish. Best used when fresh. Harvest leaves regularly to encourage branching and prevent flowering. Attracts bees.

36″ Tall, +Shade Tolerant, +Heat Tolerant, 24″ Spacing

Basil Greek Columnar / Ocimum X citriodorum ‘Lesbos’

Upright annual. Prefers somewhat moist soil and full sun. Poor cold tolerance. It has a sweet but bold flavor. Use for stews and other meat dishes. Harvest leaves at any time and harvest regularly to encourage branching and prevent flow-ering.

8-14″ Tall, +Heat Tolerant, 10-12″ Spacing

Basil Pesto Perpetuo / Ocimum x ‘Pesto Per-petuo’

Upright annual. It’s lack of flowering promotes better culi-nary use of leaves. The leaves are also ornamental. Prefers somewhat moist soil and full sun. Poor cold tolerance. Its leaves have a hint of lemon. Use for pesto. Harvest leaves at any time; harvest regularly to encourage branching.

14-18″ Tall, +Heat Tolerant, 10-12″ Spacing

Basil Purple Dwarf / Ocimum basilicum

Compact annual with pink flowers and foliage that stays dark purple. Prefers somewhat moist soil and full sun. Poor cold tolerance. The spicy leaves work well in a variety of dishes, including tomato dishes. Turns herb vinegars and oils a shade of purple. Harvest the leaves at any time; harvest regularly to encourage branching and prevent flowering.

9″ Tall, +Heat Tolerant, 10-12″ Spacing

Catnip / Nepeta cataria

Vigorous upright mounding perennial. Flowers are small but showy and fragrant and are whitish with purple dots. Toler-ant of most soil types, but provide ample moisture. Full sun. Induces euphoria in cats. Use as a relaxing tea. Harvest leaves at any time. Closely related to the similar catmint, Nepeta faassenii.

18-36″ up to 60″ Tall, 12″ Spacing

Curry Dwarf / Helichrysum italicum microphyl-lum

Perennial. The tiny bright yellow flowers are pretty against gray foliage. Fuzzy leaves are deer resistant. Prefers fertile, moist, well-drained soil but can be drought tolerant. Full sun to part shade. Cannot tolerate a hard frost. The aroma is similar to curry but without the taste, so it is not used in cooking. Use among woolens to repel moths, or in potpourri.

10″ Tall, +Shade Tolerant, +Heat Tolerant, 10″ Spacing

Find these and more in our Full Guide here.