What Herbs To Plant This Fall

Herbs are the perfect plants for anyone to grow—especially beginners! Not only are they easy to grow and maintain, but herbs are also a healthy addition to your kitchen because they have some fabulous health benefits. Keep reading for 10 of my very favorite herbs to plant this fall!  

Parsley
Parsley is a biennial, meaning its life span is two years. The first year, it puts on foliar growth; it flowers in the second year. Parsley’s hardiness zone is 4 through 9, but it can also be planted as an annual in cooler climates! The herb makes a great addition to soups, pastas, salads, sauces, and vegetables. Parsley prefers full sun to part-sun and can be grown indoors in a sunny window.

Chervil
Chervil looks very similar to parsley only frillier, which makes it a lovely addition to your fall containers. This plant is a biennial in zones 3 through 10, but it often self-seeds. Chervil has a unique flavor like a combination of parsley, fennel, and licorice. It brings delicious taste to salads, cream sauces, meats, and egg dishes. Chervil can be difficult to find in stores, so having it in your garden is super convenient! This plant performs best in part-sun and does well indoors with 4 hours of daily sunlight.

Cilantro
Cilantro is an annual that is a prolific grower. This herb tends to bolt in the spring, meaning it starts to flower. Often, when herbs begin to flower, their taste and consistency changes. Fall is the perfect time to prevent this because there are shorter, cooler days. Cilantro adds a bright flavor to salads, salsas, pesto, sauces, dips, and dressings! Cilantro prefers full sun to light shade.

Sage
Sage is a perennial that performs well in full to part-sun. It also does well in containers or inside in a sunny window. In zones 4 through 10, sage is a hardy perennial, while in warmer zones, it is generally grown as an annual because it cannot tolerate hot summers. Sage has an earthy flavor and can be used in sausage, stuffing, cured meats, and creamy pasta dishes!

Thyme
Thyme is a drought-tolerant perennial that does best in full sun. This herb is hardy in zones 5 through 9 and looks beautiful in the landscape, in a container, or indoors! Thyme adds an excellent flavor to vegetables, seafood, soups, stews, chicken, bread, and pasta. It gives off a magnificent aroma and is available in numerous varieties such as lemon, German, English, French, and more.

Lavender
Lavender is a perennial in zones 5 through 9. It performs best in full sun with well-drained soil. Lavender smells amazing and blooms beautiful purple flowers in late spring and early summer. It also makes a lovely accent in containers!

Oregano
Oregano is a perennial in zones 4 through 10, depending on the variety. This herb performs best in full sun and can even be grown indoors. Oregano has an exquisite earthy, savory flavor that accentuates tomato-centric recipes such as pizza and pasta sauces!

Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a perennial in zones 4 through 9 that does best in part-sun. Lemon balm has an amazing lemony-mint smell. It is excellent for teas and as a garnish on fruit salads. Lemon balm is also a good substitute for lemon peel in dishes such as soups, sauces, vinegars, and seafood. You can even try adding it to sugar cookies to give them a subtle and refreshing lemony flavor!

Rosemary
Rosemary is a lovely perennial in zones 7 through 10, with some varieties performing well in cooler climates. This herb does best in full sun but still performs well in part-sun. It looks stunning in landscapes and containers alike. Rosemary adds amazing flavor to potatoes, meats, soups, salads, stews, and casseroles.

Chives
Chives are a perennial in zones 3 through 10 and do best in full to part-sun. Chives have a mild oniony flavor that tastes great in soups, salads, dips, soft cheeses, and herb butters. In the spring, chives show off their purple flowers, which pollinators love!

I hope you will plant some of these fabulous herbs in your fall garden so you can enjoy all of their benefits. Please be sure to share your results and pictures with me!

Happy Gardening!