Herbal Tea Plants for the Garden

Sadly, too many gardeners fail to take advantage of the many delightful herbal teas available to them from their own garden. Herbal teas are healthy, refreshing and can be sweetened to taste with honey or dried licorice root.

Brewing herbal teas is very simple. We recommend using the infusing method, that is pouring boiling water over the herbs and allowing them to steep for 3-5 minutes, then straining the tea and serve. Teas can be served cold or hot, according to preference.

Making the perfect tea is a personal preference, we recommend using the following guidelines starting out:
For one cup of herbal tea, use 3 teaspoons of fresh herbs, or 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. For one gallon, use 6 ounces ( about 2½ cups ) of fresh herbs, or ¾ cups dried herbs. If using fresh herbs, gently bruise or crush the leaves to help release flavor and aroma. Never let the herbs set in the tea for over a day as this may allow tannic acid to release into the tea, which can be irritating to the stomach.
Be sure to use only herbs that have not been treated with pesticides.

There are many herbal teas that can be made from exotic herbs, but we have chosen to list the more common herbs that gardeners are apt to raise for other purposes as well as tea.

We offer the following seed packets for growing your own herbal tea plants:



Image: By Karduelis [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
AW85 Camellia Tea Plant ( Camellia sinensis )
The tea plant is a small shrub about 3 to 8 feet in height when mature outside, though it will grow taller if you don't prune it. In the fall, your tea shrub will flower with small white blossoms that have a delightful scent. These plants are often grown as ornamentals.
This is the tea produced commercially around the world. The tender, young leaves are used in the process of tea production.
Can be grown in tubs inside, or in cool greenhouses, outdoors in warm climates. Prefers moist, well drained, humus rich, slightly acidic ( 5.5-6.5 )soil. We recommend maintaining a 2-3 inch deep mulch of shredded bark or leaves around base of plant.
Hardy to zone 8, can be grown in zone 7 with protection. To make green tea, pick only the top 3 leaves from new growing tips, spread and dry in the shade for 6-8 hours, then in an open pot, heat ( simmer ) the leaves, stirring frequently for about an hour.
Click here for an informative site on growing and making your own tea. For black tea, you must ferment the leaves. USDA Zones 8 to 11.
  5 seeds per pack. Price per pack: $4.95
HR301 Angelica
Angelica is a biennial plant often grown as an annual. Flowers have a sweet honey smell. An oil made from the stems and roots is used in flavoring liqueurs and stems are often candied and used in decorating cakes.
Angelica will grow to a height of 4-6 ft. and prefers partial shade and a moist, slightly acidic soil.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves, seeds.
Taste: A very light taste, somewhat like celery. Best if sweetened with honey.
  250 seeds $7.95
1A009 Medico Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa )
Alfalfa is very high in vitamins A, D, E, G and K, as well as 16 important minerals. It is a hardy perennial with many small flowers growing off of the stems. Grows well in full or partial sun in well drained soil. Averages 1-3 ft. in height.
This strain of alfalfa can be made into a tea by placing two teaspoons of dried leaves in a cup of boiling water and soaking for 15 minutes. This tea is used to treat arthritis, boils, digestive disorders, urinary tract infections and bowel disorders. The chlorophyll in this brew will also dispatch of bad breath. Eating the sprouts in salads is also very beneficial.


Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves and seeds.
Taste: Somewhat of a bland taste, some describe it as the taste of new mown hay. We recommend mixing with red clover, mints or lemon verbena and sweetening with honey. Your really should drink this tea for it's nutritional benefits.

 4g pack ( hundreds of seeds) $2.95
 4 ounce pack $7.95
3616 Thai Red Roselle ( Hibiscus sabdariffa )
Beautiful 3-5 ft. plants with red stems and leaf veins. The bright red calyxes can be used to make "zingy" tea, sauce, syrup, or jam, or candied whole for an unusual treat. For strongly flavored teas, simmer for 10-20 minutes. Citrus-flavored flowers are delicious on frozen desserts.
Roselle was called "Florida cranberry" in the 1890s.
In the Caribbean, sorrel drink is made from sepals of the roselle. It is prepared by boiling dried sepals and calyces of the sorrel/flower of the plant in water for 8 to 10 minutes (or until the water turns red), then adding sugar. It is often served chilled. This is done in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada,and Jamaica where it is called 'sorrel'.
In the UK, the dried calyces and ready-made sorrel syrup are widely and cheaply available in Caribbean and Asian grocers. The fresh calyces are imported mainly during December and January to make Christmas and New Year infusions, which are often made into cocktails with rum.
Rosella flowers are sold as Wild Hibiscus flowers in syrup in Australia as a gourmet product. Recipes include filling them with goats cheese; serving them on baguette slices baked with brie; and placing one plus a little syrup in a champagne flute before adding the champagne, the bubbles cause the flower to open.
In Nigeria, rosella jam has been made since colonial times and is still sold regularly at community fetes and charity stalls. It is similar in flavour to plum jam, although more acidic. It differs from other jams in that the pectin is obtained from boiling the interior buds of the rosella flowers. It is thus possible to make rosella jam with nothing but rosella buds and sugar.
In Burma, the buds of the roselle are made into 'preserved fruits' or jams. Depending on the method and the preference, the seeds are removed or included. The jams, made from roselle buds and sugar, are red and tangy.
In India, Roselle is commonly made into a type of pickle. "Sorrel jelly" is manufactured in Trinidad. The flowers and young leaves are edible and have a citrus tang. Space plants 3-6 ft. apart, the wider the spacing, the more calyxes will ripen.
Frost-tender perennial. Germination: 75-85°F, 7-14 days. Transplant after last frost. Full sun. 36-60 in. tall.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.95
TRZ158 Yaupon Holly ( Ilex vomitoria )
Looking for a lovely and useful plant for your garden? Consider the Ilex vomitoria! Also known as yaupon holly, yaupon, or cassina, this species of holly is native to southeastern North America, from Maryland to Florida and Texas. It boasts smooth, gray bark and glossy dark green leaves, and produces beautiful quarter-inch scarlet fruit in large quantities. The plant takes well to pruning and is adaptable to various soil types.
The leaves are small, leathery and bright green and are not prickly like other hollies. The flowers attract bees and butterflies. This holly can rapidly reach 10 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide, so allow proper spacing when planting multiples. It will form thickets unless the suckers are removed.
Though occasionally used for hedging, it is primarily used for landscaping. The wood of the Ilex vomitoria is heavy and hard, making it useful for turnery, inlay work, and other woodenware. The plant is also culturally significant: Native Americans used the leaves and stems to make a tea containing caffeine, a unique quality in a North American plant. Rediscovered in modern times, yaupon tea made from dried leaves is now commercially available. Add this picturesque and useful plant to your garden today!
Grow as a container plant or outside in zones 7-9.
700mg Package ( about 100 seeds ) $4.95
HR310 Anise ( Pimpinella anisum )
An annual plant growing to 2 ft. tall. Prefers growing in cultivated soil with compost worked in and full sun.
Anise tea is one of the best herbal teas that you could ever hope to make. It has a delicious flavor, and is said to be helpful in the treatment of asthma, colic, bronchitis and nausea. It is also said to be helpful in promoting milk production in nursing mothers. A cup of Anise tea just before bedtime will help you rest better and sleep soundly. Leaves and seeds used to flavor licorice.
Delicious in salads. Seeds often used in applesauce, cakes, breads, soups and stews. Seeds have also been used for ages as a mousetrap bait, it is said that mice cannot resist the aroma of the seeds.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves and seeds.
Taste: Very pleasant sweet licorice like taste and delightful aroma. Needs no sweeteners or other flavorings.
 250mg Package of about 50 or more seeds $2.95
 500 seeds $7.95
HR105 Lemon Balm ( Melissa officinalis )
A hardy perennial growing to 2-4 ft., prefers light sandy soil and full sun to partial shade. Lemon scented leaves and sprigs used to make teas and cool drinks. It is thought to relieve asthma, migraine headaches and toothaches. Good for potpourri and the flowers attract bees.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves
Taste: A light, lemony flavor that needs no other flavorings added, in fact it is a good flavoring herb to mix with other herbal teas.
 35mg pack ( about 40-50 seeds ) $2.95
 250 seeds $5.95
HR320 Large Sweet Italian Basil( Ocimum basilicum )
Large Leaf Sweet Italian Basil is regarded as the essential variety for true Neapolitan cuisine, especially pesto. Sweet Basil plants are loaded with volatile oils, responsible for the heady aroma and strong flavor so essential to cooking. Like all Basil plants, it is easy to establish from herb seeds for the garden or to grow in a container on the patio.
This Basil grows 18 to 24 inches high and 12 to 15 inches wide. The dark green, shiny leaves grow up to 3 inches long. Pick the extra large leaves and use them fresh or dried in tomato dishes, pasta sauces, vegetables and soups. Basil is at its most flavorful when fresh. The best time to harvest is just as the plant starts to set flower buds, well before flowers bloom. Harvest leaves continually to encourage new growth. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushier plants and to delay flowering.
Adds zest to everything. Very fragrant flowers and leaves. Good potpourri addition.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves
Taste: Unique, spicy clove-like flavor.
 80mg pack ( about 50 seeds ) $2.95
  Package of 250 seeds $7.95
HR370 Borage ( Borage officinalis )
Borage herb seeds produces beautiful star-shaped white flowers and textured leaves. Borage benefits include beauty in the garden, attraction for bees and a great addition to summer drinks. Borage Bianca is compact, later flowering and sturdier than standard borage. Excellent in pots.
Plant this unusual 24 inch annual herb for its pure ornamental value, to attract much-coveted bees to your garden, and to harvest for teas and other summer drinks. When young, the cucumber flavored leaves may be added to salads. The flowers (which are excellent for cutting and have a long vase-life) are used as garnishes (in cold drinks like ice tea and lemonade) or added to salads. Cut sprays of Borage all summer long to garnish and add flavor to cold drinks and salads! Borage plants are also considered to be a great companion plant for vegetable gardens and orchards because of the attraction of bees to the blue flowers. Plant Borage seeds where pollination is needed! Borage is sometimes called Starflower or Bee Bread.
Borage is a hardy annual which means that the seeds can be sown outside in the early spring, or even in the fall and overwintered in the soil ready to come up at the first signs of spring.
Borage seeds need complete darkness to germinate. Plants grow 2-3 feet tall.
 1g Package ( about 50 seeds ) $2.95
 10g Package ( about 500 seeds ) $9.95
HR109 Burnet ( Sanguisorba minor )
A very hardy perennial that grows 1-2 ft. tall and likes well drained sandy soil. Has long been used to treat wounds and stop bleeding. Leaves used to flavor cold drinks and herb vinegars. Tender, young leaves add a hint of cucumber to soups, casseroles and salads.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves
Taste: Fresh cucumber like flavor.
 200mg pack ( about 25 seeds ) $2.95
 250 seeds $6.95
HR123 Catnip ( Nepata cataria )
Often grown by cat owners as cats love to find this plant, proceed to destroy it and roll around on top of it. It is a hardy perennial with attractive heart shaped foliage. Grows 2-3 ft. tall in moist rich soil. Grows in full sun or partial shade. Catnip tea has been used to relieve upset stomachs, hysteria, nervousness and headaches.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves
Taste: An aromatic tea with a minty flavor.
  105mg package ( over 100 seeds ) $2.95
  500 seeds $5.95
HR114 Sweet Cicely ( Myrrhis odorata )
A hardy perennial growing to 2-3 ft. Prefers moist, but well drained soil and shade or at least partial shade. White flowers are very aromatic. Fresh leaves used in salads. Seeds used in pastries and salads. Peeled roots are grated and eaten raw or steamed. Tea made from cicely is considered to be an excellent tonic and is considered a mild laxative.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves
Taste: Has a sweet, anise flavor.

Note: These seeds need to be cold statified before sowing. We recommend using the Seedman's Cold Stratification Kits for cold stratification.
  Package of 10 seeds $2.75
1A008 Red Clover ( Trifolium pratense )
A perennial that is usually grown as an annual. Grows in most soils and needs full sun. Red Clover has long had a reputation as a cancer fighter. The plant contains large amounts of tocopherol, a potent antioxidant form of vitamin E that has been shown to prevent tumor formation in animal studies. It may also provide effective relief for menopausal symptoms as elements of the plant behave like estrogen. A tea can be made by boiling three teaspoons of dried flower tops per cup of water and steeping 15 minutes. Drink 3 cups a day.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Flowers ( Dried )
Taste: Clover has a sweet, delicate flavor. Excellent with a few drops of honey.
  9g pack ( several hundred seeds ) $2.95
 8SER40 1 Pound $12.95
W206 German Chamomile ( Matricaria recutita )
An easy to grow annual with pretty daisy like flowers, the flowers are scented, and only the flowers are used for making tea.
If you want to harvest flowers for making Chamomile tea, it is best to collect flowers on a sunny day (ensuring that the flowers are fully open), then dry them in the sun. Discard the stems and leaves and store the chamomile flowers in an air tight container.
German Chamomile is most often used for medicinal purposes, and is usually administered as a tea. It can also be administered as a compress for external healing and as a bath for babies. Here are a few uses:
Soothes and relaxes at bedtime.
Relieves restlessness, teething problems, and colic in children.
Relieves allergies, much as an antihistamine would.
Aids digestion when taken as a tea after meals.
Relieves morning sickness during pregnancy.
Speeds healing of skin ulcers, wounds, or burns.
Treats gastritis and ulcerative colitis.
Other Uses
Makes a relaxing bath or footbath.
Lightens fair hair and conditions complexion. Make a rinse by simmering 2 teaspoons dried flowers in 8 ounces of water for 15 minutes.
Potpourri (dry flowers face down.)
Parts of plant to use for tea: Flowers only. Taste: A rather pleasant taste, made very nice with a little bit of honey.
  50mg Package ( couple of hundred seeds or more ) $2.95
  600mg Package ( about 2,000 seeds ) $7.95
SF084 Roman Chamomile ( Chamaemelum nobile )
Roman Chamomile seeds produce a thick, evergreen perennial herb plant that is very versatile and lovely. Forms a 6 inch mat of sweetly scented, parsley-like, bright green foliage, and it produces tiny, white and yellow daisy-like blooms in the late spring. An herbal flowering carpet comes to life!
This herbal carpet can even be used as a lawn substitute. This species is grown for the famous British Chamomile lawns.
Roman Chamomile plants may deteriorate in very cold or wet winters, but they will most likely recover. Harvest chamomile flowers when they are first fully opened. Use them fresh or freeze them for later use. Another benefit is that the flowers are used in herbal teas and are said to have medicinal properties.
Often used as a ground cover, Roman Chamomile holds soil in place even on slopes, it spreads to fill in gaps, and it blocks out most weeds. It can be mowed (after flowering and set the mower on the highest setting), and it tolerates light foot traffic. This ground cover is unique, aromatic, attractive and is well-suited for covering large areas and can be started by sowing the herb seeds ( Sow on cultivated soil. Sowing Rate: Approximately 5,000 seeds covers 100 square feet. Average Germ Time: 7 - 10 days. Keep moist until germination. Depth: Surface sow, cover lightly with peat moss. )
Attracts honeybees and birds. Young leaves and flowers can be gathered to make a calming tea, both fresh and dried.
Grows well in zones 4-9.
 45mg pack ( about 500 seeds ) $2.95
 Bulk pack 5,000 seeds ( covers 100 sq. ft. ) $12.95
HR141 Horehound ( Marrubium vulgare )
A hardy perennial that likes sandy soils and full sun. Used since ancient times as an antidote for poisons and for bronchitis, coughs and colds. Leaves are used for flavoring juices and teas. Juice used for medicinal candies.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Leaves
Taste: Has a bittersweet, musky flavor. Much improved by adding honey.
  40mg pack ( about 50 seeds ) $2.95
  250 seeds $5.95
HR145 Hyssop ( Hyssopus officinalis )
A hardy perennial growing 1-2 ft. tall that needs light, well drained soil and partial shade. A popular remedy for coughs, asthma and lung disorders. Similar to mint flavor, use small amount in salads and other dishes.
 100mg package ( about 50 seeds ) $2.95
 1g package ( about 500 seeds ) $7.95
AW80 Lavender Vera ( Lavendula vera )
Sweetly fragrant blooms and evergreen blue-green foliage! The richest in essential oils, this is one of the most aromatic Lavender plants of them all. Reaching 24 to 36 inches high, it boasts 2 1/2 inch, linear, downy leaves on strong stems. The leaves first open white, then turn a pale gray-blue-green color. Stalks of tiny purple flowers grow up to 14 inches tall.
Lavender herb plants are prized worldwide for the gentle and soothing therapeutic properties. Lavandula Angustifolia Vera is one of the richest in essential oils, meaning more fragrance power both fresh and dried. Fresh Lavender flowers can be crystalized and used in candies and cakes; dried flowers are used in potpourris and sachets; oils are used in creams and perfumes. And these are only some of the more common uses - imagination can create endless more!
Parts of plant to use for tea: Flowers
Taste: Sweet, very aromatic.
  3g pack ( over 2,000 seeds ) $7.95
H595 Mugwort ( Artemisia vulgaris )
A tall growing plant perennial usually grown as an annual, reaching 3 ft. or more. Often used to flavor drinks. An infusion made from dried roots at a rate of 1 ounce of herb to one pint of water makes a stimulating tonic for tired blood. Doses should be 1/2 teaspoon while still warm. The infusion is also helpful for palsy, fits and epileptic affections.
Parts of plant to use for tea: Flowers and Leaves
Taste: Very refreshing, tangy taste.
 40mg pack ( about 400-500 seeds ) $5.95
HR180 Pennyroyal ( Mentha pulegium )
A hardy perennial growing 12 inches tall. Likes clay heavy, moist soil and partial sun. It has been used to stimulate digestion and relieve flatulence. A strong but pleasantly scented plant used to repel insects and protect linens. Makes a beautiful ground cover .
& Parts of plant to use for tea: Tops and leaves before flowering.
Taste: Strong sweet, minty flavor. Very aromatic.
#09;  3mg package of about 25 seeds $2.95
#09;  250 seeds $7.95
HR183 Rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis )
A tender perennial often grown as an annual. Likes well drained soil treated with lime and partial sun. Often used to ease nervousness and induce sleep. Aromatic leaves and stems used to flavor meats and sauces. Excellent for potpourri.
  65mg Package ( about 30 seeds ) $2.95
  250 seeds $7.95
HR229 English Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris )
Plant thyme in your herb garden, at the edge of a walk, along a short garden wall, or in containers. As a special garden treat, put a few along a walkway and between steps, and your footsteps will release its aroma.
It even makes a pretty patch of small ground cover. Growing thyme provides an anchor in an herb garden in areas where it is evergreen in winter. Thyme is also perfect for containers, either alone or in combination with plants that won't shade it out.
It is not only attractive in the perennial border or herb garden, but it also attracts birds, bees and butterflies to the garden as well. It is also commonly referred to as Garden Thyme or English Thyme.
This variety is often planted near vegetables to help control flea beetles and several cabbage pests.
A perennial for zones 4-9.
  75mg package ( 75-100 seeds ) $2.95
  1/4 Ounce package ( about 25,000 seeds ) $9.95