Herbs are outdoor plants. There are many plants that can grow well as houseplants, but herbs are not among them. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t choose certain herbs to grow indoors. This article covers which herbs to grow indoors, as well as some that you should leave outside.
If you’re a foodie, you know that having fresh herbs at the ready makes all the difference when it comes to at-home cooking. So I can understand the desire to have an indoor herb garden at the ready!
Herbs don’t grow nearly as well indoors as they do outdoors, but you can still have a good supply of fresh herbs if you give them the best conditions possible. Indoor herbs are ideal for those who live in small spaces or during the winter when your outdoor herb garden is hibernating.
Here are the best herbs to grow indoors (and which ones you might want to avoid!).
Herbs to Grow Indoors
Leafy Herbs
These leafy herbs grow quickly and are the easiest to grow indoors. You can clip a few leaves for garnishing and salads regularly. When the plant looks a bit droopy and sad, move it outdoors and plant another one. Luckily, these are often inexpensive as well, so they’re ideal for using and replacing when needed.
- Chives
- Lemon Balm
- Mint
- Parsley (Flat Italian Parsley or Curled Parsley)
- Tarragon
- Vietnamese Coriander
Evergreen Herbs
These evergreen /evergreen-ish herbs like to live outdoors where the sun shines brightly, the soil keeps their roots dry, and there is enough cold for a period of rest.
They are a bit harder to grow indoors as they are slow-growing and slow to adapt to limited light conditions. They may not survive more than a few months, but they look gorgeous in a living planter, and you can certainly harvest a few clippings from them when needed.
Honourable Mention
Curry plant is very pretty and makes for a nice addition to indoor gardens. It is not cold-hardy, so it prefers to be indoors in a warmer climate than some of the other herbs. That being said, curry is a pretty plant that is aromatic in a herb garden.
As a culinary herb, much of the aroma is lost when cooking, and it doesn’t seem to add much flavour. So if you choose to have this in your herb garden indoors, do so for the aromatics and aesthetics.
Herbs to Keep Outside
- Dill – This herb is huge! It’s far too large for an indoor garden.
- Fennel – As with dill, fennel is big and best left outdoors.
- Basil – basil can be really hard to grow indoors. You could certainly plant it to keep the herbs fresh for longer than those that are cut, but basil is happiest in the ground with lots of bright sun and compost-rich soil.
- Cilantro – while it looks like parsley, I find it hard to grow enough cilantro indoors to make it worth my while. Without strong direct light, the stems are thin and leggy, and the leaves stay small. You can plant it densely and cut a few stems at a time, but I like to add a lot, and growing it indoors is just too much effort for what it produces.
- Chamomile – chamomile flowers are what make this herb special, and you will be hard-pressed to get it to flower indoors without adequate light.
- Garlic – garlic is more of a vegetable in that you harvest the roots to eat. It also takes a long time to grow with a cool season in between.
More Tips for Growing Herbs
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
