10 Herbs to Grow for Their Flowers

Not every herb garden must exclusively consist of herbs that you are going to use for culinary, medicinal, and/or cosmetic purposes. Sometimes you just might want to grow something for the colorful flowers. There are numerous herbs that produce great-looking blooms. In fact, I had a rather tough time narrowing the list down to just ten. Nevertheless, these ten herbs -- in no particular order -- are among my personal favorites and include herbs that not only produce interesting and colorful blooms but are also quite easy to grow.

1. Calendula officinalis. The common name for this self-seeding annual is pot marigold and should not be confused with the marigolds (Tagetes patula or French marigold) that many people plant with their vegetables to repel harmful insects. The pot marigold produces a profusion of brilliant orange-yellow daisy-like blooms from the summer right into the fall.

2. Dianthusspp. Often called pinks, these look like miniature carnations and smell just as good. Pinks can be found in colors ranging from pink -- naturally -- to deep reds, with some varieties having variegated blooms. Mine begin to bloom in the late spring and continue through the summer, as long as I remember to deadhead them.

3. Hypericum perforatum. Commonly known as St. John's wort, this wandering herb can sometimes become rather invasive. Nevertheless, the bright yellow blooms that -- to me -- have a bit of a "shaggy" appearance are worth including this herb in areas that could use a hardy, sprawling plant that grows to be about two-feet tall.

4. Monarda didyma. Also known as bergamot or bee balm, this herb produces large shaggy-looking blooms that come in a variety of colors from pink to red. The wild bergamot (M. fistulosa), which is related, has purple flowers. No matter what color you choose, you will find that this herb is a butterfly magnate.

5. Nepata faassenii. Known as catmint [see: Catmint or Catnip? How to Tell the Difference], this herb is one of my favorites. In my Zone 6 region of Northeast Tennessee, it is one of the first plants to appear in the early spring and one of the last to die back in the late fall. Unlike other mints, catmint grows from a basil point and forms a small shrub. Long-lasting lavender blooms are born on long spikes at the end of the branches. To encourage a bushier growth and a new flush of fresh blooms, just shear the plant right below the bottom blooms. You will also enjoy its spicy aroma.

6. Inula helenium. Called elecampane, the blooms of this herb have the appearance of solid yellow daisies growing on erect stems, much like those of Shasta daisies, which appear in late summer.

7. Passiflora incarnata. The passionflower produces rather strange-looking blooms. (They remind me of some kind of bizarre flying saucer.) The blooms can be found in creamy-white to purple and really must be seen to be appreciated.

8. Primula vulgaris. The little primrose is an herb that was used to make a calming tea. I like them for the slightly fragrant blooms they produce in the early spring. Blooms are usually a pale-yellow; however, I have found some new varieties in other colors, such as pale orange mixed with the yellow. The different colors also have different fragrances -- from lemon to apricot.

9. Rosa spp. The old-fashioned varieties, which are the ones normally thought of as herbs, can be found with blooms in white, pink, and red.

10. Tropaeolum majus. You probably know this herb by its common name -- nasturtiums. Nasturtiums are easy-to-grow-from-seed annuals that have a very long blooming season (from late spring right through the fall), producing blooms in yellow, orange, and red.

Reference:

Scarlett, Kay, pub. The Complete Garden Flower Book. London, England: Murdoch Books UK Ltd., 2002.