Best Herbs for Tea: 10 Easy Herbs to Grow in Your Garden or in Pots.

Quick Summary: Apple-sweet chamomile, cool mint, and bright lemon verbena, all fresh from your own garden or a few pots on the deck. These ten herbs are easy to grow, give you fresh tea all summer and dried blends all winter, and include my notes on which ones survive a Minnesota winter. Plus three roots for tea blending.

Jump to: Why Grow an Herbal Tea Garden | 10 Best Herbs for Tea (at a glance) | Details on the 10 Herbs | 3 Root Plants for Tea | FAQ

Homegrown herbs are fresher than anything you can buy, which means better flavor and stronger health benefits. Here are ten of my favorite herbs for a well-rounded tea garden, plus three bonus options for adding root plants.

At Heathglen Farm, I grow the herbs I use in the tea blends I sell at the St. Paul Farmers Market. Most of the popular tea herbs are easy to grow at home, whether you have a garden plot or just a few containers on a balcony.

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Why Grow an Herbal Tea Garden?

Reserving a corner in your garden or on your balcony or deck for a little tea garden has so many advantages. A few of them include:

• It’s easy. You can grow these plants in a bed, but most do just as well in pots.
• Herbs are versatile. Many are not just useful for tea!
• The aesthetics. Lots of these plants bloom beautifully and abundantly.
• And speaking of flowers, bees and other insects love herbs.

Best Herbs for Tea at a Glance

Herb	Part	Pots	Zone
Chamomile	Flowers	Yes	Reseeds
Mint	Leaves	Own pot	Hardy
Lemon balm	Leaves	Yes	Hardy
Lemon verbena	Leaves	Yes	Bring indoors
Lavender	Flowers	Yes	Hardy types only
Rosemary	Leaves	Yes	Bring indoors
Bee balm	Leaves, flowers	Yes	Hardy
Echinacea	Flowers, roots	Large pot	Hardy
Roses	Hips, petals	Large pot	Hardy types
Fennel	Seeds	Deep pot	Semi-hardy

Once your herbs are growing, my herbal tea recipes and blending formula shows how to combine them into balanced blends.

10 Best Herbs to Plant for Flavor in Tea Blends

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita or Anthemis nobilis)

Chamomile produces delicate, soothing tea with an unmistakably floral flavor. Both German chamomile and Roman chamomile are a great caffeine-free alternative to green tea. I add chamomile to many of the herbal teas that I blend for sleep and find it blends well with Rooibos and Honeybush teas.

Growing: Full sun (8 hours ideal), scatter seeds and press gently into soil, fertilize every few weeks if container-grown. Pick flowers when fully open. Dry for storage or use fresh.

Flavor: Delicate, soothing, floral.

Roses (Hips and Petals)

The rose hips are frequently used in tea blends, but the petals are also used to add a delicate floral flavor to tea. I blend the petals with Chinese black tea for the market work as well.

Growing: Roses like moist but well-drained soil, full sun or semi-shade and not too much frost during the winter season. The seeds need cold storage, so they’re not the quickest to germinate. You may want to grow roses from a purchased plant rather than starting from seed. In cold climates, hardy rugosa roses are the best choice for big, tart hips.

Flavor: A delicate, floral flavor which is slightly sweet with a tart aftertaste.

I mentioned earlier that some tea garden plants bloom wonderfully, and this is definitely a prime example. Rosehips are the fruit of the rose bush. That means that in order to obtain them, you have to grow roses first (what a bother!).

One of the most popular rose species for rosehips is the wild dog rose (Rosa canina), which blooms a delicate pink.

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis)

You may think of rosemary mostly as a herb used in Mediterranean cooking (like my delicious tomato crostata), but it also works really well in herbal tea blends. Since rosemary is quite strong, I only add it to black teas, like this Black Currant tea.

Growing: It’s easiest to buy a rosemary seedling rather than sowing yourself. Well-drained, sandy soil with some added compost is great if you’re growing in a container, or just pop the plant directly into the ground.

Give it plenty of full sun and keep it well-watered, though be sure not to drown it. They can take a bit of drought, but they grow much better if you keep them hydrated.

In cold climates, rosemary won’t survive winter outside, so grow it in a pot and bring it indoors before frost.

Flavor: Strong pine aroma and flavor with undertones of lemon and mint.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Tea blends with fennel have long been considered a soothing digestive. I use fennel in my Raspberry-fennel-mint blend that I sell at the Saturday St. Paul Farmers’ market.

Growing: Fennel likes a warm and sunny location and well-draining soil. It doesn’t need a lot of water, but be sure not to let it dry out too much either. In fall, when the seedheads have dried, cut them off and harvest for tea.

No need to re-sow next year, because although the plant will die off in winter in most climates, it’ll come right back when things warm up.

Flavor: It tastes a little like licorice, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. It is highly aromatic.

Another one of those versatile numbers, roasted fennel is to die for. Fennel leaves make a great topping for yogurt dips and in vinaigrettes. Fennel pollen was trendy for a while and I developed a great recipe for scallops using ground fennel seed that remains one of my favorites.

Mint (Mentha sp.)

Fresh mint is a standard for many tea blends, herbal or blended with green tea, like this Moroccan Mint tea. Although some types of mint are more common than others, there is actually a mind-boggling amount of hybrids and cultivars out there. For tea-making purposes, good ones include:

• Apple mint (Mentha suaveolens – considered by many to be the best for iced tea)
• Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
• Spearmint (Mentha spicata – used for Moroccan mint tea, which is to die for)
• Water mint (Mentha aquatica)

Growing: Mint is very easy to grow: it can actually attain weed status if you let it do its thing in your garden. So be warned, and grow your mint in a container instead if you don’t want to find it everywhere. Just provide rich, moist soil and partial shade and you’re good to go.

Flavor: Minty and mildly sweet with a cooling sensation.

Did you know? Catnip, which is another member of the mint family, also tastes great in a herbal tea blend.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Although lemon balm belongs to the mint family, it’s a member of a different genus, so it deserves its own spot on this list. It’s a great herb to use if you’d like to add a subtle lemon flavor to your tea blends.

Growing: Like its Mentha cousin, this one is very easy to grow. You can sow indoors from March or outdoors once the risk of frost has passed. Alternatively, go for a seedling from your local nursery.

Use a rich, well-drained soil and give your lemon balm plant direct sun. It will die off during winter in cooler climates, but don’t worry, as you’ll be able to enjoy it again come springtime.

Flavor: Slightly minty, mostly sweet, with a citrus background.

Remember to remove the flowers if you don’t want to end up with lemon balm all over the place.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora)

Also known as lemon beebrush, this herb has many culinary uses and is widely used to flavor all sorts of beverages, from liqueurs to sodas to teas. I particularly like to brew it with some fresh mint. The oils from the leaves add a stronger lemon background to herbal teas than lemon balm leaves.

Growing: Because lemon verbena is originally found in tropical Latin America, it isn’t as hardy in cooler climates as lemon balm. It can handle some frost, but will lose its leaves once things reach freezing levels. You could consider keeping yours as a container plant and grow it indoors during the colder months if your winters are on the harsher side.

Planting should always be done after the risk of the last frost passes. Like the other species on this list, lemon verbena appreciates plenty of sun.

Flavor: Bright, strong citrus flavor and highly aromatic.

Lavender (Lavandula sp.)

I use lavender in many tea blends that are focused on sleep or relaxation. I found it went well with this blend of butterfly pea flowers or this blend with honeybush tea. Also use dried flower buds (and optionally, dried leaves) for lavender baked goods, to flavor savory dishes, for potpourris or even to make a delicious jam.

Growing: Lavandula angustifolia is a Mediterranean native, which is good news for us as it means it’s on the hardy side and not difficult to grow.

Surprisingly, it can even handle a good bit of frost, although it may be best to bring it indoors in winter if you live in an area colder than Zone 5. Provide a well-draining, neutral soil and full sun. Water deeply whenever the soil has dried completely.

Flavor: A hint of rosemary and mint. Some species have a smoky or woody flavor while others tend to be more floral and sweet.

Is a herb garden really a herb garden if there’s no lavender?! The genus Lavandula, particularly Lavandula angustifolia, is beloved for its lovely blueish-purple flowers, its culinary uses, its fragrance, its essential oil, its medicinal properties… need I go on? Even bees adore this herb.

Coneflower (Echinacea sp.)

The species is popular in herbal remedies. While research on its health claims is ongoing, its flavor itself makes it worth brewing into tea. You can use the roots and/or the flowers for an earthy, soothing and floral drink.

The most popular coneflower variety for tea gardens is Echinacea purpurea, although Echinacea pallida and angustifolia also work well.

Growing: All are hardy perennials that can be grown in almost any type of soil and like plenty of sun. You can sow yours whenever except full summer or full winter – they start flowering reliably in the second year.

Flavor: A sweet, floral flavor that is quite strong.

Bee balm

Bee balm is actually a North American native and not just known for its fragrance and flavor, but also its beautiful bright pink flowers. Both the leaves and the flowers can be used for making tea.

Growing: Bee balm is easy to care for. It grows well in a range of conditions, although it prefers full sun and lightly moist soil. Before you sow, be sure to stratify the seeds. The easiest way to provide this necessary period of cold in a natural manner is to simply sow in fall, because otherwise, you may end up having to pop the seeds into the refrigerator.

Flavor: It has a slight minty flavor

Three Root Plants for Herbal Tea Blends

• Licorice: Takes a while to grow, but in the meantime, the little flowers are very nice. Our hand blended Licorice Spice tea is probably my favorite herbal tea. Licorice is not hardy in cold climates and would need to be grown in pots that can be brought inside in winter.
• Ginger: Can be grown from a store-bought ginger root. Fantastic with honey and lemon. Ginger is not hardy in cold climates and would need to be grown in pots that can be brought inside in winter.
• Valerian: The underground stems can be brewed into a natural sleep aid. Be sure to follow a recipe so you don’t overdo it!

If you want to explore the world of teas and tisanes, check out this Complete Guide to Teas. It includes information on how to grow a tea garden, types of tea, brewing times and temp., recipes for blends, caffeine amounts, and much more.

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