10 Easy Herbs That Grow Beautifully In Pots With Very Little Effort

Homegrown and aromatic herbs in old clay pots sage, oregano, thyme, basil, mint and oregano.

One of the best ways to try your hand at herb gardening is to grow them in containers. Starting your “herb garden” in containers allows you to discover which plants you use most often in the kitchen, lets you control the growing conditions (fewer weeds!), and keeps the herbs close at hand on your patio or kitchen windowsill.

We’ve gathered some of our favorite herbs that grow well in containers. The keys to success are containers that drain well and aren’t so small that they dry out quickly and cause plants to wilt, and a good soilless potting mix that holds moisture while providing good aeration. You can plant herbs in separate pots or artistically plant them in a mixed container. Just be sure the mixed plantings have similar light and water needs so all the herbs survive.

You can start a container herb garden by sowing seeds or purchasing plants from a garden center. If you buy small potted herbs at the grocery store, transplant them into a larger container with fresh soil, water them well, and acclimate them slowly to outdoor growing conditions.

Basil

Basil in Pot Outside

An annual herb, basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow from seeds in a container. You can start the seeds indoors or wait until after the last spring frost to sow outside. Basil germinates and grows quickly. You can begin harvesting leaves in about six weeks. By harvesting often, you’ll have the most flavorful leaves and slow the plant from flowering. There are many basil species and cultivars from broad-leafed Italian types to purple basils to Thai basil so you’re sure to find your favorite.

  • Botanical Name: Ocimum basilicum
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Moist and well-draining
  • Soil pH: Neutral

Parsley

Parsley in Pot

Technically a biennial herb, parsley is usually grown as an annual. The seeds are slow to germinate so it’s best to plant seedlings in containers. Though usually used as a garnish, parsley is loaded with vitamins and can be added to salads or smoothies. Two forms of parsley are readily available in garden centers, Italian flat-leaved variety (var. neapolitanum) or French curly-leaved (var. crispum).

  • Botanical Name: Petroselinum var. crispum or Petroselinum var. neapolitanum
  • Sun Exposure:  Full sun to light shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
  • Soil pH: Neutral to acidic

Sage

Sage. Clary Sage in a garden.

Choose a larger container for this small evergreen shrub. The broad oval, gray-green leaves of sage can be used fresh or dried to be used to flavor your Thanksgiving stuffing or favorite soups and stews. While the plants prefer full sun, growing in areas with high heat and humidity can be difficult. Look for the cultivar ‘Berggarten’ for better results and mildew resistance.

  • Botanical Name: Salvia officinalis
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Well-draining, moist to dry
  • Soil pH: Neutral

Rosemary

Rosemary in pot

As an evergreen shrub, there is a form of rosemary from upright to weeping that will be perfect for your container herb garden. The needle-like foliage is fragrant and the distinctive flavor is used to season vegetables and meat. The flowers are tiny, blue, lavender, or white and once they have faded, severe pruning will encourage dense foliage growth. While easy to propagate from a cutting, rosemary varies in hardiness. In colder hardiness zones, choose a hardy variety such as ‘Arp’ or ‘Hill Hardy’.

  • Botanical Name: Salvia rosmarinus
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining to dry
  • Soil pH: Neutral to acidic

Common Thyme

A pot of thyme bush in the garden

There are hundreds of thyme species and cultivars but the perennial common thyme is the one most widely used in cooking. Read plant tags and you’ll discover different species with flavors and fragrances that include caraway, lemon, nutmeg, orange, and oregano. When using thyme for culinary purposes, it is best to harvest the leaves just before flowering when the essential oils are at their peak. The plant is low maintenance, but it should be trimmed when it gets leggy. You can use those trimmings to root new plants or propagate by division or from seeds.

  • Botanical Name: Thymus vulgaris
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining to dry
  • Soil pH: Neutral

Chives

Chives in plant pot

A relative of the onion, chives are an easy-to-grow perennial herb. Reaching about 12 inches tall, the dark green, grass-like leaves and the lavender flowers can be used in salads, spreads, or as garnishes. You can grow chives from seed or transplants in full sun.

  • Botanical Name: Allium schoenoprasum
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist to dry
  • Soil pH: Neutral

Oregano

Fresh Oregano in Container

Add this perennial to your container garden if you love Mediterranean flavors. Growing to about two feet tall, the plant has small rounded leaves and pale pink flowers. You’ll get the best flavor if you collect the leaves and dry them before adding oregano to your favorite dishes. If you want a stronger punch, look for Greek oregano (Origanum heracleoticum).

  • Botanical Name: Origanum vulgare
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Well-draining to dry
  • Soil pH: Neutral

Lemongrass

Lemongrass aromatic herbs growing in flowerpots

Add some height to your container garden with lemongrass, a herbaceous perennial, that grows up to 4 feet tall. Use the swollen, white lower stem to flavor teas and Asian dishes. While it is hardy in hardiness zones 9-10, bring it indoors before the first fall frost and keep the soil moist in other areas.

  • Botanical Name: Cymbopogon citratus
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
  • Soil pH: Neutral

Mint

Fresh Mint in Pot

You’ll want to add a herbaceous, perennial, mint variety to your container garden for the wonderful flavors and scents. But the main reason to grow mint in a container is to keep it from overtaking your garden! Easy to grow from cuttings, division, or transplants, harvest mint often to keep plants from becoming leggy and flowering. With varieties from peppermint to ginger to pineapple to chocolate, you’re sure to find a mint you love.

  • Botanical Name: Mentha
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
  • Soil pH: Neutral

Lavender ‘Provence’

Lavender in pots

Lavender is one of the most common herbs grown for potpourri, sachets, and flavoring teas and desserts. Unfortunately, many varieties prefer cool summers and those don’t happen in the South. However, if you find the right cultivar like ‘Dutch,’ ‘Provence,’ or ‘Grosso’, you can grow this perennial in your container garden.

  • Botanical Name: Lavandula x intermedia
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Well-draining to dry
  • Soil pH: Neutral

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