Leafy annual
Sweet basil ↗
Ocimum basilicum
A sunny-window favorite for fresh leaves. Cold is its hard stop; choose a compact sweet basil for a small pot.
Sunny spot · Start with seedling
The herb library
Know what you’re growing.
Twelve culinary herbs, with different appetites for light, moisture, and space. A curated starting collection—not a promise that every herb fits your window.
12 of 12 profiles
Leafy perennial
Spearmint ↗
Mentha spicata
A vigorous herb for drinks and everyday leaves. Give it a pot of its own rather than a shared herb planter.
Partial shade outdoors · Start with seedling
Leafy biennial
Flat-leaf parsley ↗
Petroselinum crispum
A useful choice for partial shade outdoors. A nursery start avoids the slow wait for parsley seed to germinate.
Partial shade outdoors · Start with seedling
Clumping perennial
Common chives ↗
Allium schoenoprasum
A compact clump of onion-flavored leaves. Look for common chives, not the flat-leaved garlic chive.
Sunny spot · Start with seedling
Cool-season annual
Cilantro ↗
Coriandrum sativum
Grow for fresh leaves during a locally cool season. Heat-driven flowering is part of its life cycle, not a promise of endless leaf harvests.
Partial shade outdoors · Start with seed
Woody perennial
Culinary thyme ↗
Thymus species — labeled culinary selection
Small leaves and a preference for sun and very good drainage. Buy a culinary thyme, not an unidentified ornamental groundcover.
Sunny spot · Start with seedling
Woody shrub
Rosemary ↗
Salvia rosmarinus
A fragrant shrub for a sunny space. More demanding of light and room than its tiny nursery pot suggests.
Sunny spot · Start with seedling
Leafy perennial
Common oregano ↗
Origanum vulgare
A sunny-container herb for sauces and soups. It shares a family resemblance with marjoram but is not the same plant.
Sunny spot · Start with seedling
Woody perennial
Garden sage ↗
Salvia officinalis
Gray-green culinary leaves for a sunny, well-drained pot. Persistent dampness is a poor fit.
Sunny spot · Start with seedling
Cool-season annual
Dill ↗
Anethum graveolens
Feathery leaves for fish and vegetables. Start from seed in locally cool weather and plan for eventual flowering.
Sunny spot · Start with seed
Leafy perennial
Lemon balm ↗
Melissa officinalis
Lemon-scented leaves for tea, with vigorous growth that is easier to manage in a separate container.
Partial shade outdoors · Start with seedling
Tender culinary herb
Sweet marjoram ↗
Origanum majorana
A milder relative of oregano, with a compact habit and a preference for sun and moderate watering.
Sunny spot · Start with seedling
Rooted in references
Good guidance has a source.
Practical guidance drawn from university Extension resources. Start small, observe your plant, and adjust to your local conditions.
References consulted November 6–8, 2026. About this guide →
- Clemson Extension · Herbs ↗
Species, propagation, sunlight, moisture, and culinary use. Updated November 25, 2019; written for South Carolina.
- University of Maryland Extension · Containers and indoors ↗
Indoor light, drainage, potting mix, and seasonal care. Updated March 4, 2024; winter examples refer to Maryland.
- Illinois Extension · Basil ↗
Basil varieties, temperature thresholds, sowing, and harvesting. Publication date not supplied.
- Illinois Extension · Harvesting ↗
When a plant is ready, making clean cuts, and leaving growth for the next harvest.