Herbs as Ornamentals
HERBS AS ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
Throughout history herbs have been used as ornamental plants to add color, texture, shape and scent to a garden. Herbs with colorful foliage always add color to the garden because they don’t rely on bloom time to make a contribution to the landscape. Those with scent can be picked for aroma or just brushed against for a pleasant odor when strolling through the garden.
The following lists include herbs for scent, foliage color, bloom color, borders, and those with shape and texture.
SCENTED HERBS
Anise hyssop-licorice
Balm, lemon-lemon, insect repellent
Basil-sweet basil
Chives-onion or garlic, appetite stimulant
Citrosia-lemon, also mosquito repellant
Curry-sweet curry
Eucalyptus-sweet menthol
Fennel-licorice
Lavender-both foliage & flower are scented
Lemon grass-lemon, insect repellent
Marjoram-sweet oregano
Mint-spearmint or peppermint
Monarda-sweet bergamont
Patchouli-heavy perfume
Rosemary-sweet aroma
Salad burnet-nutty aroma
Savory-winter-spicy
Scented geraniums-many possible scents
Southernwood-pungent aroma
Sweet annie-sweet scent
Sweet woodruff-woodsy
Thyme-lemon-lemon
caraway-caraway/thyme mix
french-most aromatic of the thyme
oregano-oregano/thyme mix
Verbena-lemon-lemon
Wormwood-pungent and sweet
FOLIAGE COLOR
Achillea-gray or green
Alchemilla-pale green
Basil-African blue-blue/green Rubin-purple basil
Curry-gray
Dianthus-light gray/green
Eucalyptus-blue/gray
Fever few, golden-light yellow/green
Fennel-bronze/deep brown
Germander-silver/gray
Germander-upright dark green
Lavender-green or gray especially fall and winter
Marjoram, gold-light green
Mint, calla-cream & green splashed
lime-light green
pineapple-cream & green variegated
Oregano, gold-light yellow/green
Oregano, cuban-cream & green foliage
Parsley, curled-deep green
Perilla-purple/red
Perovskia-gray
Rue-blue/green
Sage, berggarten-dark gray
golden-gold & green variegated
purple-purple/mauve
tricolor-purple, cream & green
Santolina-gray or green
Stachys-light gray
Southernwood-gray/green
Thyme, golden-green & gold variegated silver-light and dark gray
Wormwood-gray
BLOOM COLOR
Achillea-yellow, pink, red, purple (summer)
Anise hyssop-lavender (late summer)
Borage-blue star flowers (summer)
Catnip-mauve flowers (summer)
Catmint-mauve/purple flowers (summer)
Chamomile-white daisy-like flowers (summer)
Calendula-bright to pale yellow & Orange blooms (summer)
Chives-pink or garlic chives-white do not cut foliage until the blooms appears if you want flowers (summer)
Comfrey-small pink flowers (summer)
Dianthus-pink (early summer)
Echinacea-purple (summer)
Feverfew-white daisy-like flowers (mid-summer)
Germander-small pink flowers (mid-summer)
Hyssop-blue or pink (mid-summer)
Hypericum-yellow (summer)
Lavender-pale blue to deep lavender (summer)
Monarda-pink, lavender, red burgundy (summer)
Nasturtium-shades of red, yellow & orange (summer)
Oenothera-yellow or pink (summer)
Perovskia-purple (summer)
Rosemary-blue, pink or white (late summer)
Rue-yellow (mid-summer)
Sage-green & dwarf-blue (mid summer)
Saponaria-pink (summer)
Savory-winter-small white flowers (mid-summer)
Sweet woodruff-white (May)
Tansy-yellow button-like (mid summer)
Thyme-white, pink or lavender (summer)
Viola-bright yellow, blue & purple flowers (spring to early summer)
SHAPE AND TEXTURE
Achillea-feathery gray or green foliage
Alchemilla-large rounded leaves with crinkled edges
Basil, spicy globe-mound shape
Burnet, salad-soft oval leaves
Chives-vertical, cylindrical leaves
Comfrey-large leaves
Chervil-light green fern like foliage
Curry-narrow silver leaves
Eucalyptus-round leaves
Fennel-feathery foliage
Germander-similar to boxwood
Horehound-green/silver wooly texture
Lavender-long narrow leaves
Lemon grass-tall vertical leaves
Lovage-green deeply divided & large toothed
Marjoram & Oregano-small gray/green leaves
Mint, corsican-small foliage, used as a shade ground cover between stones
Parsley-green foliage with curly leaves
Rosemary-needle shaped dark green leaves
Rue-small round lobed leaves
Sage, berggarten-large oval textured leaves green-think oval textured leaves
Santolina-finely cut coral-like foliage
Scented geraniums-many sizes and textures usually with wooly or fuzzy foliage
Sempervivum-oval pointed succulent leaves
Southernwood-feathery, finely divided foliage
Stachys-thick hairy silver leaves
Sweet woodruff-pretty leaves that grow in a circle around the stem
Tansy-toothed fern-like foliage
Verbena, lemon-pale green lanced shaped leaves
Wormwood-rounded, finely divided Foliage
HERBS FOR BORDERS
Basil, spicy globe
Chives
Curry, dwarf
Germander, upright
Hyssop, blue or pink
Lavender, munstead
Myrtle, sweet
Nasturtium, mounding type
Parsley, curled
Rosemary, arp
Sage, dwarf
Santolina, gray or green
Savory, winter
Thyme, French