Adonis – According to Greek legends, this herb sprang from the blood of Adonis. Bright crimson flowers bloom in June or July. Once used as a cardiac stimulant similar to digitalis, but said to be much stronger.
ALOE
Aloe barbadensis
Tender Perennial – Sun
Ht. 1’-3’ Space as needed
Uses: Medicinal, cosmetic.
Aloe Vera is a native of South and East Africa with a long medicinal history. Known to the Greeks in the 4th century for its purgative properties, it is currently valued most for the juice of its leaves which soothes and heals burns and sores. The yellow and orange flowers of Aloe Vera are borne on a spike above the grey-green succulent leaves. Aloe Vera produces new plants at the base which are easily separated for potting.
AMBROSIA
Chenopodium botrys
Annual – Sun
Ht. 18" Space 12"
Uses: Flavoring teas, cool drinks, fruit salads, potpourri.
Ambrosia is a member of the "goosefoot" family, so called for the shape of its leaves. Ambrosia grows easily from its long-lasting seed. Plumes of foliage (feather geranium is another common name) produce a sweet and spicy scent when touched, due to glandular hairs. Plants are grown primarily for its flowering stems which add quite a pleasant aroma to floral arrangements. Pick the stems green, with their grape-like clusters of green flowers and bend into wreath shapes. Leaves and flowers commonly used in potpourri.
ANGELICA – (Archangel)
Angelica archangelica
Biennial – Shade, Damp Area
Ht. 6’ Space 30"
Uses Seeds: Oil, custards, bread & wine.
Uses Leaves: Fish, teas and candied stalks.
Angelica is native to Lapland and Northern Europe. It prefers local moist conditions and will reseed under good conditions. The Lapps use the leaves as a preservative for fish and all parts of the plant for medicinal and magical purposes. These tall plants produce stately umbels of whitish flowers in the 2nd and 3rd year, making a striking background in semi-shade areas. Angelica is an ingredient in cordials and liquers such as Benedictine. The young leaves and shoots may be eaten in salads and the green stems candied or preserved in syrup.
ANISE
Pimpinella anisum
Annual – Sun
Ht. 24" Space 18"
Uses Leaves: Fruit salads, soups & stews.
Uses Seeds: Cakes, cookies.
Anise has been used for many centuries as an aid to digestion and as an appetite stimulant. The seeds may be chewed to sweeten the breath and a pack of the leaves is said to remove freckles. Anise is a confectionary herb, a flavoring for liqeurs, a salad herb and an ingredient in perfume. Harvest the seeds as the tips turn grey and dry carefully. Use in vegetable curries, stews, cookies, candy and bread.
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 30" Space 18"
Uses: Fruit, honey, teas, soup and fragrances.
Anise Hyssop makes a bold garden accent, with its tall spikes of purple flowers which attract bees and from which they make a fine mild honey. The anise-scented leaves are dried for tea and potpourri. They were used by Northern Plains Indians for a sweetener and they are a staple in Cree medicine bundles. The roots were used by Chippewas for coughs and respiratory ailments.
ARTEMISIA
Artemisia annua
Annual – Sun
Ht. 36" Space 24"
Uses: Fragrant, herb wreaths and decorations.
Artemisia – Until recently, Artremisia annua has been grown primarily for its aromatic foliage and its use in dried arrangements, wreaths and potpourri. Commonly called ‘Sweet Annie". Bend the green stems with yellow flowers into wreath forms and dry for further decoration. Artemisia annua reseeds freely and tolerates even poor growing conditions. Currently, Artemisia annua is under investigation for its potential use in the treatment of malaria.
"Powis Castle"
aborescens
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 24-30" Space 24"
Uses: Herbal wreaths and garden accents.
Powis Castle – This new hybrid features lacy, glowing silver foliage and a tidy, compact growth habit. Often remains silver throughout the winter. Requires good drainage. Grows taller in warmer places.
"Silver Brocade"
Stellarianna var.
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 12" Space 24"
Uses: Herbal wreaths and garden accents.
Silver Brocade is a more compact and serrated form of the native seaside plant. Ghostly silver foliage with prostrate habit. Needs excellent drainage. Great for hanging baskets, window boxes and tub planters.
"Silver Frost"
pontica var.
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 15" Space 18"
Uses: Decorative silver plant for garden accent.
Silver Frost is a shrub-like plant with finely cut fern leaf foliage.
"Silver King"
ludoviciana var.
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 24" Space 18"
Uses: Decorative herb used in herbal wreaths.
Silver King artemisia or cudweed, is a staple of the grey garden and is used in dried arrangements and wreath making. It prefers full sun, excellent drainage and benefits in part shade from some support like a fence or a wall. This variety dries very white and sholud be cut before the heavy flower heads of yellow to brownish blooms open. Silver King spreads easily from the roots.
"Silver King" (Narrow Leaf)
ludoviciana var. albula
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 20" Space 24"
Uses: Decorative herb used in herbal wreaths.
Silver King (Narrow Leaf), the traditional silver king artemisia, with its narrow leaves and bushy habit, is a native of the Western United States. Its flower heads are much smaller and lighter than the wide leaf, and it prefers the same dry, sunny, well-drained location. Cut the stems for wreaths and dried arrangements when the flower buds appear as tiny grey balls. Silver King adds a dramatic accent to the perennial border and is a mainstay of the garden.
"Silver Mound"
Schmidtiana ‘Nana’
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 6" Space 18"
Uses: Decorative silver herb.
Silver Mound makes a wonderful border plant for perennial beds, herb gardens and particularly for grey gardens. Each plant forms a small round clump of silky grey leaves, and remains less than one foot high. Trim in mid-summer and cut off flowering stems to maintain shape. Silver Mound thrives in lean soil and dry conditions.
"Silver Queen"
Artemisia var.
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 24" Space 18"
Uses: Decorative silver herb.
Silver Queen artemisia shares the same general form with its more famous relative, Silver King, but it remains somewhat smaller and is less invasive. The leaves are finely cut and resemble those of ludoviciana. This airy, delicate plant thrives on full sun and dry soil. Stems should be cut before the flowers open to maintain the grey-white color. Lovely in dried arrangements and frequently used as a wreath base.
"Valerie Finnis"
ludoviciana var.
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 18" Space 24"
Uses: Herbal wreaths and garden accents.
Valerie Finnis has very showy silver-grey leaves. One of the best silver leaved perennials.
"Versicolor"
Artemisia var.
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 15" Space 18"
Uses: Decorative – attractive in rock gardens.
Versicolor is a low-growing border plant with extremely slender and delicate silver foliage. Like all artemisias, it prefers a sunny, well-drained spot in the garden.
"Wormwood"
absinthium
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 3’ Space 24"
Wormwood – A very bitter herb, used to make the liqueur absinthe, now outlawed, as thought to produce brain damage. A bitter tonic used to stimulate appetite and aid digestion. Dried grey foliage repels moths in the linen closet. Remedy for worms. Leaves secrete bitter substance which inhits growth of other plants. Spreads by root runners.
AZTEC SWEET HERB
Lippia dulcis
Tender Perennial – Sun
Ht. 8" Space 24"
Uses: Sweetener, sugar substitute, medicinal.
Aztec Sweet Herb is a Mexican herb used since at least the time of the Aztecs for coughs, colds, bronchitis, asthma and colic. Aztec Sweet Herb is a vining tropical plant, now being investigated as a natural sugar substitute. The leaves have an intense sweetness much more than cane sugar. An extract from them is used in South America as a sweetener. The plant does nicely in a hanging basket and is almost always in flower with white blooms.
Balloon Flower
Platycodon grandiflorus
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 24" Space 24"
Uses Leaves: Young foliage in salad.
Uses Roots: Medicinal.
Balloon Flower – Platycodon comes from the Greek words meaning "broad bell" and "bell flower" is another common name for this hardy perennial. The clear blue flowers appear in mid-summer and often last until fall. Grow in full sun. Reqires no special soil or attention. In the language of flowers, "bell flower" speaks of gratitude. A cough remedy in the Orient.
Balm - "Golden Lemon"
Melissa officinalis aurea
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 18" Space 30"
Uses: Flavoring teas & cool drinks, fish & salads.
Golden Lemon Balm – The variegated form of lemon balm is a very decorative plant in the perennial border. The word "balm" is an abbreviated form of "balsam" and refers to the sweet scent of the leaves. Carmalite water, a combination of balm, lemon peel, nutmeg and angelica root, was a suggested cure for nervous headaches. Plant with other variegated plants for an unusual effect.
"Lemon"
Melissa officinalis
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 18" Space 30"
Uses: Teas, cold drinks, salads, and stuffing.
Lemon Balm – is the strongest lemon scented plant. Hardy in the North, lemon balm has been prescribed for nervous disorders and for relief of fevers associated with colds. Steep the leaves for a lemon tea which is refreshing hot or cold. Lemon balm prefers a cool, moist location in partial shade. The leaves are most flavorful just before the white flowers bloom in May, but if the flowers are allowed to remain, they attract bees to the garden.
"Lime"
Melissa officinalis var.
Perennial – Sun
Ht. 18" Space 30"
Uses: Teas, cold drinks, fruit salads, and fish.
Lemon Balm – grows exactly like lemon balm but has a lime scent.
Balm of Gilead is a handsome herb from the Canary Islands, with a compact habit and palmate leaves emitting a strong menthol fragrance. This is not the Balm of Gilead mentioned in the Bible.
Basil
Considered a royal herb by the Greeks and venerated as sacred by the Hindus, basil has arrived at its present acclaim despite centuries of distrust and superstition. Like tomatoes, it was considered inedible or a sign of witchcraft.
