10 Unusual Herbs To Grow This Year

Herbs are a real treasure to have at home. Especially, herbs that come straight from your very own garden. These magical plants have a unique beauty, but have been treasured for centuries for many of their other qualities. Herbs have a ton of uses in the kitchen, the most significant being to help elevate your meals. However, another unique quality of herbs is their potential medical use. Which is always handy to have around. You can also dry your herbs and use them for teas or as seasoning at any time. So, why not add some unusual herbs to your collection? This way you can add new flavors, a little spice, and health benefits to your life.

Herbs are a real treasure to have at home

Unusual Herbs To Grow

While we are used to seeing a lot of cilantro, basil, mint, and oregano in the garden, adding some unusual herbs can really spice up your life. That’s why we’ve created this list of magical herbs that are fun, interesting, and practical to have around. This way you can choose which ones are the best fit for your lifestyle.

Add some unusual herbs to spice up your life

#Stevia

If you are trying to cut down sugar, then having some Stevia around the garden is great! This plant’s leaves are around thirty times sweeter than sugar. You can use Stevia leaves both fresh or dried. If you want it as an alternative sweetener, you can easily dry it and ground it finely to use instead of sugar. This plant is an annual and needs well-draining, acidic soil.

You can use Stevia leaves both fresh or dried

#Fairywand

This plant is native to Eastern North America. Sticking up like a wand adorned with beautiful white flowers spikes, this plant is also referred to as angel’s fishing rod. For centuries this herb has been used by Native Americans to help women with fertility issues, menstrual problems, and other reproductive issues. This plant is a perennial and grows up to four feet tall. The Fairywand blooms during mid-spring.

Fairywand stands straight up like a wand adorned with beautiful white flowers spikes

#Lovage

Lovage is a herb with a plenitude of uses. Nicknamed “false celery” for its flavor, this herb can be used to both season your food, be eaten as is, or for medicinal purposes. Add some Lovage to your salads, or use it to replace parsley in recipes. Its seeds can also be sued to add flavor to soups, dips, marinades, and more. When it comes to medicinal use, it’s believed the Lovage can help with urinary track infections, can prevent kidney stones, and is a natural diuretic. This plant is a perennial and thrives in full to partial sun with well-draining soil.

Lovage is a herb with a plenitude of uses

#Garlic Chives

Often called Garlic Chives, the Chinese flowering leek is the perfect addition to pretty much any meal. This perennial is entirely edible, from the stem to the white flowers, and is a great addition to meals where garlic or onion are also appropriate. Garlic Chives are generally easy to grow as long as they are in a sunny spot and the soil is well draining. Like all alliums, pollinators just love this plant, especially bees and butterflies, so you will be noticing more of them in your garden.

Garlic Chives are entirely edible

#Feverfew

Oh, this plant has a gorgeous foliage with white flowers with vibrant yellow centers. Typically confused for chamomile, this plant not only looks beautiful but also has very beneficial medicinal uses. This perennial belongs to the daisy family and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat and prevent migraines. The Feverfew’s leaves give off a nice citrus smell, which can help repel some insects. This herb needs well-draining soil and doesn’t handle drought well.

This plant is typically confused for chamomile

#Toothache Plant

The toothache plant, as the name suggests, does a wonderful job at helping ease tooth pains. Both the beautiful green leaves or captivating golden flowers of this plant can be chewed on for a bit, in order to induce a numbing or tingling sensation in the mouth which eases the pain. This plant is also a great source of vitamins and can also be used to treat wounds, as it has antifungal and antibacterial properties. In order for the toothache plant to grow strong, you need to keep its soil moderately moist while it is growing.

Both the leaves or captivating golden flowers of this plant can be chewed on

#Winter Savory

A perennial herb with a beautiful green foliage. This plant is amazing! It is believed that Winter Savory can help with stomach pains, coughs, throat issues, diarrhea and more. It’s also great in the kitchen. You can dry the leaves and tips use them in spice mixes, stuffing, and pates. Or you can also use them fresh. Winter Savory can be harvested all year around and needs full sun and well-drained soil to fully thrive.

A perennial herb with a beautiful green foliage

#Anise Hyssop

The Anise Hyssop is a bit of an enigma as it is neither anise seed nor hyssop, but it also isn’t a blend of the two. But it does have a flavor similar to that of anise. This plant is a member of the mint family and can add a delicious minty, licorice flavor to your veggie dishes or salads. You can dry its leaves and use it for tea, and it’s seeds for an anise substitution. The Anise Hyssop has beautiful purple flowers and likes well-draining soil. Like the toothache plant, it should also be kept moist while it is still establishing.

The Anise Hyssop is a bit of an enigma

#Lemongrass

Oh, lemongrass is delightful. This green bush packs a yummy, fresh, lemon flavor and scent! It is a common addition to dishes in Asian culture and has also been used in traditional medicine for centuries. It is often under the form of tea or oil. Lemongrass not only adds a punch of citrus flavor to a meal, but can also help with stomach issues, respiratory problems, and can even be used as a disinfectant. Now that’s a plant that can do it all.

This green bush packs a yummy, fresh, lemon flavor

#Rue

This plant is super versatile. Rue can be used both fresh or as an oil in many dishes. But it also has plenty of uses out of the kitchen. This herb has a ton of healing properties. It can help with pain relief for headaches, soothes earaches, helps arthritis pain, and more. Rue is also a great insect repellent. This plant is a perennial and is super hardy.

Rue can be used both fresh or as an oil in many dishes

These were some unusual herbs to grow in your garden this year. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can pick your favorite herbs and start sowing. Once they grow you’ll have a beautiful and useful collection of herbs.

These were some unusual herbs to grow in your garden this year

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