One of the joys of gardening is having plants return and thrive season after season. For herb gardeners, choosing perennials that come back reliably every year is key. Let’s look at some of the best perennial herbs for repeat performance.
What Makes an Herb a Perennial?
By definition, perennial herbs are plants that can live more than two years. After dying back in winter, perennial herb roots survive underground to re-sprout the next spring. Some key examples
- Mint
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Sage
- Chives
- Lavender
These plants regenerate from their rootstock to grow anew each year This saves the work of replanting annual herbs
Top Perennial Culinary Herbs
Many favorite cooking herbs happily come back as perennials. Here are some top picks:
Mint
Mint is famous for being unkillable! Once established mint will thrive for years. Just keep it contained as its spreading roots can be invasive. Spearmint and peppermint are two tasty perennial types.
Oregano
With its pungent, pizza-perfect flavor, oregano is a prized perennial herb. Common oregano and Greek oregano are two flavorsome varieties, along with ornamental golden oregano.
Thyme
Subtly lemon-flavored thyme is an essential herb that reblooms every year. English thyme, French thyme, and lemon thyme are some worthy perennial thymes.
Sage
An aromatic seasoning for meats and dressings, garden sage reliably returns each spring with its fuzzy gray-green leaves. Garden sage and pineapple sage are two culinary favorites.
Chives
No herb garden is complete without chives! Their grassy tops emerge early in spring, providing a first taste of fresh flavor. Garlic chives are another perennial allium.
Lavender
Though used more for fragrance than cooking, lavender is an iconic, enduring perennial herb. English lavender is the go-to culinary type, with its sweet floral flavor.
Top Perennial Ornamental Herbs
Several herbs valued for their beauty and aroma are also perennial:
-
Lavender – In addition to its use in cooking, lavender’s fragrant purple flowers are stunning in borders.
-
Mint – Peppermint and spearmint’s showy blooms give long-lasting color.
-
Catmint – With its blue haze of flowers, this mint relative draws pollinators.
-
Sage – Garden sage’s impressive silvery foliage adds striking texture.
-
Oregano – The rounded leaves and pretty blooms of oregano are quite ornamental.
-
Thyme – Thyme makes a classic aromatic groundcover with waves of flowers.
These provide fragrance, color, and visual interest year after year.
Growing Conditions for Perennial Herbs
The key to success with perennial herbs is providing the right habitat:
-
Full sun – Most require at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
-
Well-drained soil – Wet feet will cause perennial herbs to decline.
-
Adequate airflow – Good air circulation prevents fungal diseases.
-
Room to grow – Avoid crowding to encourage healthy growth year to year.
Give them sun, airflow, and elbow room and these herbs will thrive season after season.
Caring for Perennial Herbs in Winter
Come wintertime, perennial herbs need a bit of care to survive the dormant season:
Leave stems and foliage
Allow herb stems and leaves to remain through winter to help insulate plant crowns. Prune back dead growth in spring.
Add mulch
A 2-4 inch layer of straw or leaves over crowns provides insulation from cold snaps.
Pot up tender varieties
For marginally hardy herbs like rosemary and lemon verbena, pot up plants to overwinter indoors.
Check for drainage
Ensure beds drain fully to prevent freeze/thaw root damage. Amend soil with grit/gravel if needed.
With a little winter protection, perennial herbs will return big and beautiful the following growing season.
Advantages of Perennial vs Annual Herbs
Both annual and perennial herbs have their merits in the garden:
Perennials
-
Return every year
-
Require less replanting
-
Establish larger plants
-
Provide year-round visual interest
Annuals
-
Often grow/flavor better from fresh seed
-
Allow more variety year to year
-
Require no winter protection
-
Can be positioned flexibly each season
To enjoy the best of both, plant a mix of annuals and trusty perennials!
Troubleshooting Perennial Herb Problems
While very resilient, perennial herbs can sometimes struggle:
-
Poor growth – May indicate nutrient deficiency. Amend soil and fertilize plants.
-
Dieback – Likely due to wet soils. Improve drainage and allow soils to dry between waterings.
-
Failure to return – Harsh winters may have killed roots. Replace with new plants and provide better winter protection.
-
Leggy growth – Plants need more sun. Move to a sunnier position.
Catch issues early and adjust care to keep herbs happy for the long haul.
The Gift of Self-Seeding Annuals
Some annual herbs conveniently self-seed, returning reliably like perennials. Dill, cilantro, chervil, basil, and borage are prime examples, sprouting freely from dropped seed. While technically annuals, their self-sowing nature gives the gift of “perennial” behavior. Let some plants go to flower and seed, and they’ll keep cycling back.
Perennial Herbs Anchor the Garden
Minimal fuss, maximum flavor…that’s the beauty of perennial herbs! Choosing herbs that come back annually saves time and effort. Anchored by hardy perennials, an herb garden will thrive season after season. Sit back and enjoy nature’s endless gifts of nourishment, beauty, and aroma!
A List of Perennial Herbs
- anise hyssop
- bay laurel
- chives
- echinacea
- fennel
- feverfew
- lavender
- lemon balm
- lemon verbena
- marjoram
- mint
- oregano
- Roman chamomile
- rosemary
- sage
- sweet marjoram
- tarragon
- thyme
- winter savory
Are Herbs Perennials or Annuals?
Herbs are a broad category of edible plants, so they can fall under both!
Lets look at some definitions first to make sure were on the same page.
Perennial herbs can live longer than two years. The word perennial actually means “through the years. Perennial herbs will die back in colder climates in the fall or winter after a growing season. They will grow back from their roots in the spring. Each March, my chives are some of the first plants to pop back up.
Annuals, often referred to as soft herbs, complete their life cycles in just one growing season. That means they go from seed to seed within one year. Each year you have to plant some annuals again, but others can grow from the seeds that were left over from the previous year.
Some herbs can live for years in their natural environments, but they won’t make it through the winter if they’re grown in colder places because they’re not cold-hardy. We call these herbs tender perennials, or short-lived perennials, and basil is a prime example. When the first frost comes in the fall or winter, basil dies. Because of this, gardeners in colder areas have to treat basil like an annual and plant new basil every warm season from seed or cuttings.
In warmer climates, gardeners can enjoy growing basil outdoors for several years. Fennel, feverfew, lemon verbena, and lavender are other tender perennials that are often treated like annuals.
As you can probably tell from the word “tender perennials,” how long an herb will live in your garden depends on the weather. If you live in a place with very cold winters, herbs that are normally thought of as perennials might only last one year in your garden. Most herbs, after all, are native to warmer climates, places like the Mediterranean or Southeast Asia. Because of this, even the hardiest perennials can often use some kind of frost protection in the winter.
Perennial Power: 6 Herbs That Brave Winter and Flourish Year After Year!
FAQ
Are there any herbs that are perennial?
What herbs grow annually?
What is the easiest herb to keep alive?
When can I plant perennial herbs?
Do perennial herbs come back every year?
By nature, perennial herbs will come back every year without any work on your part. The typical spring garden chores of preparing beds, starting seedlings and planting do not apply to perennials. You will probably need to do some light weeding and pruning but overall you can sit back and relax as you watch them come back year after year!
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 in warmer climates?
While some perennial herbs will only come back in warmer climates, don’t fret. Nowadays, plenty of innovative gardening solutions exist so that you can mimic the necessary climate from the comfort of a protected counter or indoor window sill. Of course, not all perennial herbs are alike.
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.