Herbs

Herbs have always been popular to add flavors in cooking. Many of them also have medicinal purposes. In Tucson, some, like rosemary, sweet bay laurel, lavender and sage perform well as landscape plants. Herbs can be classified as annuals, perennials, and biennials.  Annuals, such as basil and cilantro, live for only one season before flowering and going to seed. Basil is also frost tender so it is best used as a summer annual. Cilantro, on the other hand, doesn't like the heat so it performs best in the winter.  Herbs like rosemary, lavender and some sages, are long lived perennials and perform well as landscape plants. Sweet bay laurel can easily grow to the size of a patio tree. See our hand-out on herbs under the resources section of this web page.