If you live in zone 5 like me, you know it can be a bit of a struggle to find edible perennials. Herbs can be expensive to buy and herb plants can be even pricier (especially if you have to buy new ones every year), but what if you find herb plants that you only have to plant once: Enter perennial herbs. Here are some perennial herbs for zone 5.
Chives
Chives are a great perennial herb for zone 5 because they are one of the earliest to come up (mine usually are ready to harvest by the end of April). I have a chive plant next to my garden and in the spring and fall I will go out and harvest a bundle.
Keep in mind that if you let chives go to seed they will spread rapidly and take over. To stop this from happening cut the flowers off before they go to seed. Bees flock to these flowers and they are edible.
Sage
Sage is a woody perennial herb that is hardy down to zone 4. The leaves may even stay green through early winter allowing you to harvest fresh sage most of the year.
If you want to have sage all year round simply dehydrate the leaves, crush them, and place them in an airtight jar for later use. This plant will also flower and could even be called an ornamental due to the silvery green leaves.
Thyme
Thyme is another hardy perennial. There are many different varieties of thyme (even lemon thyme which tastes and smells like lemon). Thyme does enjoy lots of warmth and sunlight and can even withstand some drought.
Oregano
Oregano is part of the mint family which means it is super hard to kill and spreads rapidly. Make sure to plant this perennial herb in a pot or you will be pulling oregano like a weed.
If you want it to survive the winter make sure to burry the pot in the ground so the roots do not freeze through.
Oregano has been one of the easiest herbs for me to propagate. I simply take a few cuttings pull the lower leaves off and stick them into moist soil. Keep the soil well watered and within a few weeks you will have a new plant that you can grow or share with others.
Chamomile
Known for its tea, chamomile is a hardy perennial that even reseeds itself if the flowers are left on the plant. Chamomile flowers can be harvested and dried to make into tea.
I have even seen people grow chamomile in smaller yards as a no mow grass alternative. Read this article to learn how you can replace your grass with chamomile.
Mint family
Mint is very hardy in zone 5. Just like oregano make sure to plant mint in a pot so it does not spread like a weed.
Everything from spearmint to peppermint and even chocolate mint, there are so many varieties that you can choose from. I grow peppermint which has a multitude of uses.
Parsley
Parsley is a biennial which means it will grow just two years, then it will flower. If you let your parsley flower, it may reseed itself. Parsley can be used as a garnish to freshen up your next dish.
Lavender
Lavender can be hardy down to zone 5. Make sure that you grow English Lavender because not all lavender varieties are perennial. Some lavender varieties can also be used to flavor dishes or scent closets.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a medicinal herb. Both the flowers and roots of the echinacea plant are used to make tinctures and teas for immune health. You can learn how to grow echinacea from seed here.
I am not an herbalist so please make sure to research this medicinal herb's side effects before using it.
Tips to keep them coming back every year
Even though these herbs may be perennial that does not guarantee that they will come back every year. Here are a few things that you can do to help them grow better and make sure that they come back every spring.
Mulching
Mulching around your perennial herbs will not only keep the weeds away, but it also builds soil life which in turns helps to make your herbs grow abundantly. Here is a full post on different things you can use as mulch in the garden.
In the fall after the plants have died back and the weather is below freezing at night you should cover all your perennial herbs in a 3-4 inch layer of mulch.
This will help insulate the soil so that there is not constant thawing and freezing which can damage perennial plants. The mulch will also help keep the soil moisture in balance so the roots will not rot.
In the spring remember to uncover all your herbs so they can grow easily, but make sure to keep some mulch around them all summer.
Compost and compost tea
While most herbs actually thrive with out any fertilizer occasionally fertilizing them will keep them in tip top shape. Once or twice every year I will either water my herbs with compost tea or side dress them with compost.
If you do not have compost you could also use diluted fish emulsions for fertilizer. You can buy the same fish emulsions I use here. Make sure to use this when you know that you will not be harvesting for awhile because you do not want to be eating fish flavored chives (Yuck!).
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