Warm-Weather Herbs vs. Cool-Weather Herbs for the Texas Gulf Coast

Today at the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, I gave a program on Herbs! Yea, just plain old herbs. What an expansive subject herb programs can provide! Anyway, I wasn’t at all prepared for the program, so I just had to ad lib as they say. Anyway, I told the attendees, that attended on this beautiful spring day, I would post the following information, so here goes!

Warm-Weather Herbs vs. Cool-Weather Herbs for the Texas Gulf Coast

Planting Herbs (warm-weather herbs vs. cool-weather herbs) Often we buy herbs that give us growing instructions, and we follow the instructions and they die. Why? Because the instructions are for growing herbs up in the north which have mild summers and cold winters. The Texas Gulf Coast is a whole different story for growing herbs. We plant warm-weather herbs in the spring and remove them when they die at the end of their growing period. Then we plant cool-weather herbs in the fall, and if we have a mild winter, they should keep growing until it heats up in late spring or early summer. This provides for a year-round herb garden. If we have a mild winter, many of these annuals can become perennials.

Warm weather

• Basil Ocimum basilicum Grows in full sun. Loves the summers. There are over 150 species. Some of the best for cooking are sweet, Genovese, lemon, lime, cinnamon, Thai and the lettuce leaf varieties, i.e. Valentino, Mammoth, and Napolitano. The lettuce leaf varieties can be used on a sandwich in place of lettuce. Basil is a must-have herb for every kitchen. Grows in full sun. Basil - pesto, tomato sauce, tomato soup, tomato juice, potato dishes, prawns, meat, chicken and all types of poultry, pasta, rice, egg dishes.
• Chamomile, German Matricaria recutita although considered an annual, can be taken into the greenhouse and carried over during the winter in more southern localities. It is used in ointments and salves, and its flowers are used as a tea, which is said to calm, sooth, and provide relief from spasms and cramps. It will grow to 18 inches in full sun to partial shade. It can also be made into a “sleep pillow.”
• Chamomile, Roman Chamaemelum nobile a hardy perennial, is low growing, 6–9 inches, with tall flower stalks. It releases a pleasing odor when walked on and makes a nice ground cover.
• Epazote Chenopodium ambrosioides is one of the herbs most often found in the Mexican kitchen. Fresh epazote has dark green serrated leaves. Epazote is used in dried beans, corn, seafood and fish. The reason for its use in beans is because it is believed to be a carminative herb because of its antiflatulent power, i.e. reducing intestinal gas. Epazote is a tender perennial in most of Texas surviving if we get a mild winter. It is a very invasive herb so be careful where you plant it. It likes lots of sun.
• Lemon Verbena Aloysia triphylla is a tender perennial that is considered the sweetest of all the lemon herbs and is one of the favorites of herb gardeners. It is used as a culinary herb in teas, salads, desserts, vegetables and seafood dishes. Also a clean, dry sprig can be dropped into a bottle of white wine, recorked and let sit for a while in the refrigerator and then serve the cold wine for a refreshing summer time drink. For aromatic relief, add an infusion of fresh or dried leaves to your bath.
• Lemon Grass Cymbopogon spp. Zone 8 - 10. Thought to be native to India/Tropical Asia. A clumping fountain grass which grows to 3’ to 5’. They say flowering is rare, but I know that all of mine flower. It is a frost tender perennial, and it can be grown in the ground or in containers. It likes moist, well-drained soil and likes full sun, but can take some dapple sunlight. The blades are sharp so be careful. Culinary: Their leaves can be used to make a tea, but it is probably too much work to try to get enough to get any flavor. The part of the plant that is used is the lower, almost white section of the stem. Depending on the recipe you can cut the white part into 2” to 3” stems, or thinly slice crosswise, or chopped, or pounded or minced. If you are using the larger pieces, discard before serving because they are fibrous and tough. It is used in SE Asian dishes and is great for any dish that you want to have a lemon flavor. It is great in stir fries, rice, sauces, curries, seafood, soups, and tea. Lemon grass is a tender perennial that can be grown as an ornamental grass. Be careful when handling the sharp edged leaves which can cause cuts much like a paper cut. You can run your hand up the leaves without any cuts, but be sure not to run your hand down the leaves. Lemongrass has a clear lemon flavor with flowery overtones. The leaves can be used to make a tea, but it is probably too much work to try to get enough to get flavor because the aroma fades quickly from the upper part of the leaf. Generally, the part of the plant that is used is the lower, light green to almost white section of the stem. Depending on the recipe you can cut the white part into 2” to 3” stems, or thinly slice crosswise, or chop, or pound or mince. If you are using the larger pieces, discard before serving because they are fibrous and tough. It is used in SE Asian dishes and is great for any dish that you want to have a lemon flavor.
• Lemon Grass, East Indian Cymbopogon flexuosus Smaller form of Cymbopogon spp. with same usage and cultural practices. Better for containers because of its smaller size. Can start from seed.
• Mexican Mint Marigold a/k/a Texas Tarragon Tagetes Lucida Use it to substitute for French Tarragon which will not grow here in the south because it is too hot and humid. The mild anise flavored leaves can be chopped and added to any dish calling for French Tarragon. It is good in soups, eggs, meats, especially poultry, salads, seafood, and it makes for a great tea. And when it blooms in the fall, snip those flowers and throw them into a salad for color and flavor. Tarragon - salad dressing, egg dishes.
• Oregano, Mexican Lippia graveolens It's a slender aromatic shrub or small tree, whose pubescent (felty) branches bear rounded to obtuse, bluntly serrated leaves. Fragrant flowers are yellowish or white with a yellow eye and occur throughout the year, especially after rains. With hot peppery leaves and beautiful tubular lavender flowers; Mexican Oregano is not a true oregano, but rather a member of the verbena family. It is often substituted for oregano in recipes as is the Cuban Oregano which is a member of the coleus family. Both the Mexican Oregano and Cuban Oregano can be substituted for oregano, but they will give a slightly different taste than true oregano.
• Oregano, Mexican Poliomintha longiflora If you have room for just one native herb, then Mexican oregano is your best choice. The leaves of this shrubby herb are a somewhat spicy replacement for garden oregano. When substituting, reduce the amount in your recipe to about two-thirds of garden oregano. Mexican oregano likes full sun but will also grow in partial shade. This graceful perennial provides lovely color through summer and into fall with tubular white, pink and lavender flowers. It generally reaches 3 feet. In my shade garden, however, it is prostrate, growing no higher than about 10 inches. Although native to the drier regions of Texas, it can adapt to the humid gulf area. It can also be grown in containers, where it will delight you with a cascade of showy flowers.
• Oregano, Cuban Plectranthus amboinicus Cuban Oregano is a very tender perennial and a member of the same family as Coleus, and as such is not a true oregano. It does share the same general taste as the oreganos, and can be used as a substitute, though this is more common in Cuba and surrounding areas than it is in the US. Cuban Oregano makes a nice houseplant - especially the variegated type shown above, and is propagated easily by cuttings. This is not a true oregano, but is used in place of oregano in Caribbean cuisines. Fleshy, grey/green fuzzy leaves on a stocky trunk. Most gringos grow this in a pot as an ornamental. Very unusual and fragrant plant.
• Savory, Winter Satureja montana Perennial cousin to the annual Summer Savory S. hortensis If harvested when stems are young, the flavor is very similar to the annual Savory. In cooking, winter savory has a reputation for going very well with both beans and meats, very often lighter meats such as chicken or turkey, and can be used in stuffing. It has a strong flavor while uncooked but loses much of its flavor under prolonged cooking. It may also be used medicinally, it is a stimulant, and is also a known aphrodisiac. Older leaves can be very strong. Savory should not be eaten in excess by pregnant women.

Cool weather

• Borage Borago officinalis (Green Salad In Place Of Cucumber); can also eat flowers; grows 1–2 feet high and 2–3 feet wide, producing gray-green, fuzzy, cucumber-flavored leaves. It prefers cool weather. Pink buds open to blue star-shaped flowers with a cone of black anthers. Its delicate flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects and are often used for garnish.
• Chervil Anthriscus cerefoliumt is a relatively unknown and unused low growing herb. Chervil, with its mild anise flavor, can be used in place of parsley and in sauces and thrown into a salad for an added surprise flavor. Chervil grows to a height of 12 to 26 inches. Chervil prefers a cool and moist location; otherwise it rapidly goes to seed.
• Coriander (English) a/k/a cilantro (Spanish) Coriandrum sativum Have you ever tried to grow cilantro during the hot, humid summer months and failed? Cilantro, a cool-weather annual, is one of the many cool-weather herbs that needs to be planted in the late fall, and it should thrive through May when it will bolt. Let it do so and come fall you should be rewarded with a new bed of cilantro. Cilantro is a plant that is both a spice, the seeds, and an herb, the leaves. Coriander - Asian dishes, stir fries, curries, soups, salads, seafood. You also might try new ‘Delfino’ cilantro, an All America Selections winner that bears finely cut, feathery leaves. After two years of growing ‘Delfino’, Jensen says it was the slowest cilantro to bolt in the Johnny’s field trials — and it has a mild flavor that may make converts of people who think they don’t like the taste of cilantro.
• Dill Anethum graveolens Bouquet, Fernleaf, Mammoth. Likes full sun, protect from strong winds. Plant every two weeks or so for continuous dill. Great cool-weather herb, with foliage is aromatic, feathery and fernlike plumes. Swallowtail larvae depend on it. Culinary: Dill pickles, salads, breads, baked potatoes, soups, butters, vinegars, fresh vegetables and fish and seafood. Both an herb and spice (seeds). Tea made from dill promotes sleep and reduces nervousness and aids in digestion. Is another cool-weather annual which should be planted in the fall. It, like cilantro, is both a spice and an herb. Recipes will specify dill seed when calling for the seed or dill weed or dill when calling for the leaf. OK, we all know about the wonderful flavor of dill pickles. However, dill can be used in many culinary dishes, including fish, seafood dishes, potatoes (great in potato salad or roasted potatoes) and other vegetables, breads, soups, and sauces. Also dill can be used to make herbal butters, oils and vinegars. And if you really want to perk up an omelet, put a little dill in the egg mixture. Dill tea is said to promote sleep, reduce nervousness and aid in digestion. It is said that early American settlers called dill seed "meetinghouse seed," chewing them to stave off the boredom and hunger of long sessions in church or town meetings. They also used dill to ward off witches. Dill - salads, sauces, fish, salad, sour cream, cheese and potato dishes.
• Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Green, Florence & Bronze Fennel seed can be planted in either spring or fall or transplant nursery grown plants to the garden, because fennel is a perennial and will not die after setting seed. The entire anise-flavored culinary herb is used, including the seeds, bulb, stems and fronds. After collecting the seeds, cut the plant down to the ground and new growth will follow. One cup of fennel has only 30 calories. It is high in fiber, vitamin C, calcium and iron. It breaks down fats and aids in digestion. It is another herb with a history of medicinal, magical and culinary uses. Fennel was used by the ancient Egyptians as a food and medicine, and was considered a snake bite remedy in ancient China. During the Middle Ages it was hung over doorways to drive away evil spirits. Fennel - stuffings, sauces, seafood. NOTE: Dill and fennel will cross pollinate. According to the Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses by Deni Bown, page 386, she states the following: Closely related genera may also interbreed if they are grown together and flower at the same time; dill and fennel are known to cross, resulting in plants that are indeterminate in flavor. We found this to be true in our Master Gardener demonstration gardens.
• Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor, like chervil, is a relatively unknown and unused herb. It is best grown as a cool-weather, short-lived perennial, so expect to replace it from time to time. The wonderful cucumber flavor is great in salads, vinegars, butters, vegetables, beans, mushrooms and other dishes. And it is considered to be a diuretic. Salad Burnet is a charming evergreen plant whose 12 inch fountains of scalloped foliage form a wonderful flower bed edging. Salad burnet will grow in a sunny site, but seems to do best when shaded in the afternoon. A prime location would be under a deciduous tree so that it can soak up winter’s rays, but not suffer a summer sunburn. Grown easily from seed, salad burnet has interesting “button-like” flower heads in the summer, but the main attraction is the cucumber scented foliage. The leaves make a delightful herbal vinegar to be used on fish and in salad dressings.
• Savory, Winter Satureja montana Perennial cousin to the annual Summer Savory S. hortensis If harvested when stems are young, the flavor is very similar to the annual Savory. In cooking, winter savory has a reputation for going very well with both beans and meats, very often lighter meats such as chicken or turkey, and can be used in stuffing. It has a strong flavor while uncooked but loses much of its flavor under prolonged cooking. It may also be used medicinally, it is a stimulant, and is also a known aphrodisiac. Older leaves can be very strong. Savory should not be eaten in excess by pregnant women.

Grows in Warm & Cool Weather Perennials

• Bay Laurus nobilis Make sure that you get the true Mediterranean bay laurel and not the California bay which is known also as Oregon myrtle and pepperwood and often substituted for bay laurel. Red bay Persea borbonia, which grows in south Texas, has very aromatic leaves which can be substituted for the common spice, bay leaf, which normally is obtained from bay laurel L. nobilis, a European species in the same family. Caution - Bay leaf does not break down during cooking, so always remove it from a dish before serving. It can cause internal damage by perforation. Bay - soups, stews, casseroles, meat and poultry marinades, stocks.
• Chives which are one of the allium species a/k/a onion genus (leeks, shallots, scallions, chives both onion and garlic, garlic), the hardy perennial chives, onion and garlic are often confused. Onion chives have tubular leaves and lavender flowers, and garlic chives have flat leaves and white flowers which bloom all summer. The garlic chives are stronger in flavor, so they should be used in moderation. Chives - salads, chicken, soups, cheese dishes, egg dishes, mayonnaise, vinaigrettes.
• Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis Both the lemon balm and the lime balm are in the mint family, and like mint, they are easy to grow and can become somewhat invasive. The fresh leaves give a citrus flavor when used in cooking. You can use it in any recipe to give a lemon flavor. Also it makes into a refreshing summertime iced tea. Lemon balm smells like lemon cough drops.
• Marjoram Sweet marjoram Origanum majorana is considered the sweetest, and many think the best, of the origanums. Have you ever noticed that it is sometimes difficult to tell marjoram from oregano? That is because they are in the same genus. Any recipe that calls for oregano will often call for marjoram which has a more delicate flavor. It is used extensively in Italian and Greek cuisine in meat, soup, sauces, oils and vinegars. Sweet, mild aromatic herb used in meat dishes and with tomatoes. If left to flower, it's a great bee plant. Tea used to relieve symptoms of colds, headaches and to settle upset stomachs. Dried leaves are a fragrant ingredient in potpourri. Marjoram Sweet - meat, fish, egg dishes, cheese dishes, pizza.
• Mints Mentha are generally divided into two groups, spearmint Mentha spicata and peppermint Mentha piperita with spearmint being the one that is the most often used. About 600 but spearmints & peppermints; will cross pollinate; damp & shade; Apple Mint has a very light taste and slightly fuzzy leaves. Chocolate Mint is a variation of Peppermint with purple stems and some say a hint of chocolate flavor - use like Peppermint. Doublemint tastes like a combination of Peppermint and Spearmint. Orange Mint (Mentha aquatica 'Citrata') tastes and smells like Bergamot, so it adds great to a fine Earl Grey tea. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) makes a great tea and is good for flavoring ice cream. There are plain and variegated forms of Pineapple Mint, which is very similar to Apple Mint; use the variegated form so you can tell them apart. Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is good in tea in combination with Peppermint, but not so great alone. It makes great jelly for lamb and a nice garnish for desserts and mint juleps and is popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. Mint tea, especially which made from Peppermint, is supposed to help settle the stomach, in addition to being used as a diuretic. Also available, but harder to find, are Candy, Corsican (hard but not impossible to grow down here in south Texas), Lavender (Mentha x piperita 'Lavender'), Lemon (try 'Hillary's Sweet Lemon'), and Lime Mint. I also grow banana mint which does smell and taste similar to bananas. And I have a somewhat rare Habeck Mint. This biblical mint has unusual long and narrow leaves with a spearmint taste and fragrance which makes an excellent tea. And what would the Kentucky Derby be without the Mint Julep (spearmint)? Mint - drinks, confectionary, meat, chicken, yoghurt, desserts, sauces, vegetable dishes.
• Oregano Origanum 25 species including Greek Oregano, the most commonly used oregano, along with sweet marjoram, which is sometimes called the "prince of herbs". There are over 25 species of oregano including Greek oregano. Oregano is sometimes called wild marjoram. It is used extensively in Italian, Spanish and Mexican cooking. What’s spaghetti sauce without oregano, right? But you can also use oregano in vegetables, beans, meats and soups. Remember oregano is a strong herb, so go easy when seasoning dishes with it. Oregano - cheese dishes, egg dishes, tomato sauce, pizza, meat, stuffing, bread, pasta.
• Parsley Petroselinum crispum curly-leaf French and flat-leaf Italian Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum, lots of vitamin A, B, C; swallowtail butterflies like this plus dill and fennel; freshens breath and helps tone down the garlic odor; flat-leaf is considered to be the more flavorful variety. OK, we all know about that little piece of parsley that restaurants place on your plates. Do you know that it is more than a garnish? When eaten after a meal, it is actually there to help “freshen” the breath and help to tone down garlic odor. Both the curly-leaf and the flat-leaf are easy to grow and attractive in the garden. These are cool-weather herbs that need to be planted in either early spring or late fall. Add parsley just before serving to preserve vitamins A, B and C and minerals. Swallowtail butterflies like parsley along with dill and fennel. Parsley - pesto, egg dishes, pasta, rice dishes, salads, butter, sauces, seafood, vegetable dishes.
• Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis upright/prostrate and sun/shade; native to the Mediterranean region and gets its name from ros (dew) and marinus (sea). In Texas it is a hardy, sun-loving perennial shrub, although it can take dapple sunlight. It needs a well-drained soil. And they can grow up to 5’ high. The flowers of rosemary are generally blue, but there are also varieties that produce white and pink flowers. The rosemary can either be an upright or a prostrate. Culinary: Commercially it is used in backed goods, condiments, relishes, snake foods, gravies and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. It is great in fish, poultry, meat, bread, sauces, potatoes, soups and desserts. Tie together a small bundle and use as a brush for the barbecue. Go easy when first using rosemary. Rosemary is a very versatile must-have herb in the kitchen. It is very pungent, so use it sparingly until you learn to enjoy it. Use it in all kinds of recipes, i.e. meats, seafood, breads, vegetables, salads, eggs, butters, oils, vinegars, teas and even desserts. Use the woody stems as a skewer and thread meats and vegetables onto it and roast on the grill. I do not care for sweets, but I really like these rosemary cookies. Rosemary - fish, poultry, meat, bread, sauces, soups.
• Sage Salvia officinalis a/k/a garden sage; over 900 species of salvias, Known most often simply as “sage,” S. officinalis comes in several varieties including tricolor, Berggarten, purple, golden and many others that describe difference in leaf color and shape. Slight difference in taste may occur from variety to variety, but they can be used interchangeably in recipes. You may also find that one variety does better in your garden than another, so experiment with several varieties. Sage - stuffings, tomato dishes, cheese dishes.
• Thyme Thymus vulgaris about 400 varieties; will cross pollinate; give dapple sunlight; Thyme can be used in the same recipes that include oregano and marjoram. Savory herb for flavoring meat, eggs, cheese dishes and soups. Robust grower. Spreads nicely to form a tight clump. Good drainage is essential, as this herb will easily "drown" if roots are allowed to say too wet. Plant in raised bed if necessary. Good for container planting. Lemon thyme is good in savory dishes especially fish, stuffings and vegetables. Thyme - chowders, bread, chicken and poultry, soups, stock, stews, stuffings, butter, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar.

Pineapple Sage

Photos by Linda Turner Collins