Picture

​Plants with a bee symbol are beneficial for bees or other pollinators.
Key: 
Annual: A plant that flowers, set seeds and dies within a single growing season.
Biennial: A plant that completes their life cycle over two seasons putting on leaf growth only in the first year and flowering and setting seed in the second year.
Perennial: A plant that will continue to grow for many seasons, possibly flowering each year. Some perennial plants will die back each winter with new growth appearing in the spring. Not all perennials are hardy and some will need protection or placing under cover during the winter.
Monocarpic: A plant that will die after flowering and setting seed but is not necessarily an annual and may live for more than one season before flowering.
NOTE: It is very important to consult a qualified medical herbalist before taking any herbs medicinally. Any information contained here is for information only and not as a guide to self-medication. The use of any information from this website is entirely at the reader's own risk. 

Sage - Common / Garden
​Salvia officinalis
  • ​Type: Hardy evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height: 60 cm - 70 cm
  • Preferred position: Plant in a sunny position in light well-drained soil.
  • Care: Can be pruned in spring but do not cut into old wood.
  • Uses: Culinary, Medicinal
  • Longish green leaves and blue/purple flowers in early summer.

Sage - Broad-leaved

​Salvia officinalis
  • ​Type: Hardy evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height: 60 cm
  • Preferred position: Plant in a sunny position in light well-drained soil.
  • Care: Can be pruned in spring but do not cut into old wood.
  • Uses: Culinary, Medicinal
  • Has larger and broader leaves than common sage and rarely flowers in the UK.

Sage - Purple

Salvia officinalis var. purpurascens
  • ​Type: Hardy evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height: 60 cm - 80 cm
  • Preferred position: Plant in a sunny position in light well-drained soil.
  • Care: Can be pruned in spring but do not cut into old wood.
  • Uses: Culinary, Medicinal
  • Purple grey foliage, seldom flowers in cool climates.

Sage - Tricolor

Salvia officinalis 'Tricolor'
  • Type: Half-hardy evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height: 40 cm
  • Preferred position: Plant in a sunny position in light well-drained soil.
  • Care: Less hardy than common sage so would benefit from some winter protection.
  • Uses: Culinary
  • Very attractive variegated variety, its green leaves being marked with white, pink and purple. Blue flowers in summer. Mild flavour.

Salad Burnet

​Poterium sanguisorba
  • ​Type: Hardy Semi-Evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height: 30 cm
  • Preferred position: Moist, fertile soil in sun or partial shade.
  • Care: Cut off flowering stems to promote leafy growth.
  • Uses: Culinary
  • The leaves have a mild cucumber flavour and can be added to salads.

St John's Wort

​Hypericum perforatum
  • Type: Hardy Perennial
  • Approximate height: 30 cm - 60 cm
  • Preferred position: Prefers well-drained soil in sun or partial shade.
  • Care: Once established may spread but unwanted plants can easily be pulled up.
  • Uses: Medicinal
  • Bright yellow star shaped flowers.
 
CAUTION: HARMFUL IF EATEN, SKIN ALLERGEN IN SUNLIGHT.

Sweet Cicely

Myrrhis odorata
  • ​Type: Hardy Perennial
  • Approximate height: 60 cm - 1 m
  • Preferred position: Prefers well-drained humus rich soil in partial shade.
  • Care: Can be cut back after flowering to produce more leaves.
  • Uses: Culinary
  • Lacy leaves with umbels of white flowers followed by large dark seeds.

Sweet Marjoram
​Origanum majorana
  • ​Type: Half Hardy Perennial
  • Approximate height: 40 cm
  • Preferred position: Sunny position in well-drained dry soil. Prefers chalky soil.
  • Care: Needs winter protection, ideal for growing in containers. Flowers can be cut off to produce more leaves.
  • Uses: Culinary, Medicinal
  • White or pink flowers are produced in late summer. Leaves and flowering sprigs are used in Italian and Greek cooking. These are best used fresh and added towards the end of cooking.

Tansy
Tanacetum vulgare
  • ​Type: Hardy Perennial
  • Approximate height: 90 cm - 1.2 m
  • Preferred position: Plant in a sunny position in dry, stony soil.
  • Care: Cut back after flowering to maintain shape and prevent self seeding.
  • Uses: Insect repellent
  • Attractive indented leaves and bright yellow button flowers.

Thyme - Common
Thymus vulgaris
  • Type: Hardy Evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height: 30 cm - 45 cm
  • Preferred position: Free-draining soil in a sunny position.
  • Care: Lightly trim after flowering to prevent straggly growth.
  • Uses: Culinary, Medicinal
  • Tiny leaved plant with mauve flowers in spring and summer.

Thyme - Lemon
Thymus x citriodorus
  • Type: Hardy Evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height:30 cm - 45 cm
  • Preferred position: Free-draining soil in a sunny position.
  • Care: Lightly trim after flowering to prevent straggly growth.
  • Uses: Culinary
  • Tiny leaved plant with mauve flowers in spring and summer. Lemon scent and flavour.

Thyme - Foxley
Thymus pulegioides
  • Type: Hardy Perennial
  • Approximate height: 20 cm
  • Preferred position: Well drained soil in full sun.
  • Care: Lightly trim after flowering.
  • Culinary
  • Variegated aromatic leaves and tiny purple-pink flowers in late spring and early summer.

Thyme - Creeping Lemon
  • Type: Hardy Evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height: 10 cm
  • Preferred position: Free-draining soil in a sunny position.
  • Care: Lightly trim after flowering.
  • Uses: Culinary
  • Very attractive low growing lemon scented and flavoured thyme.

Toadflax
Linaria vulgaris
  • Type: Perennial
  • Approximate height: up to 75 cm
  • Preferred position: Dry, well-drained soil.
  • Uses: Medicinal
  • Pretty yellow and orange flowers in summer. Food source for several species of bees.

Valerian - Red

Centranthus ruber
  • Type: Perennial 
  • Approximate height: 60 - 90 cm
  • Preferred position: Well drained, poor soil in sunshine.
  • Care: Very resistant to pests and diseases.
  • Uses: Medicinal
  • Very pretty plant with red or pink flowers in summer, attractive to butterflies.

Vervain
Verbena officinalis
  • Type: Perennial
  • Approximate height: 35 to 80 cm
  • Preferred position: Plant in full sun.
  • Uses: Medicinal and Bee plant
  • Small lilac flowers appear at the tips of long stalks from summer to late autumn

Viper's Bugloss
Echium vulgare
  • Type: Perennial
  • Approximate height: 35 to 80 cm
  • Preferred position: Plant in full sun.
  • Uses: Medicinal and Bee plant
  • Small lilac flowers appear at the tips of long stalks from summer to late autumn

Winter Savory
​Satureja montana
  • Type: Hardy Semi-Evergreen Perennial
  • Approximate height: 30 cm
  • Preferred position: Prefers poor well-drained soil in full sun.
  • Care: Pruning lightly after flowering maintains shape.
  • Uses: Culinary
  • Dark green leaves and small white/pink flowers in summer.

Wormwood

Artemisia absinthium
  • Type: Hardy Perennial
  • Approximate height: 65 cm - 1.1 m
  • Preferred position: Will tolerate most soils.
  • Care: Needs little attention and will tolerate drought.
  • Uses: Insect repellent
  • Feathery, silvery-green aromatic leaves.