Lavender, Fern-leaf
Lavandula multifida
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Sun-P.Sun
Height: 3 Feet
Water: Normal
Soil: Loamy-Sandy Well Drained
Common Uses: Container, , Culinary, , Medicinal, , Ornamental
Need a lavender that rarely stops flowering year around, has nice blue flowers and tastes great too? So what’s the catch? None really, except that it’s not hardy below Zone 9. But northerners can containerize plants indoors where it happily grows & flowers. The gray green color falls in between green and silver fern-leaf varieties.
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Lavender, Goodwin Creek
Lavandula x ginginsii 'Goodwin Creek Grey'
Cold Tolerance: Zone 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Sun-P.Sun
Height: 2 feet
Water: Normal
Soil: Loamy-Sandy Well Drained
Common Uses: Culinary, , Medicinal, , Ornamental
Once this incredible variety started to flower, it has hardly ever stopped. Stunning silver gray foliage with deep blue, fragrant flowers and all the looks of an english lavender.

A BIG thank you to Jim and Dotti Becker of “Goodwin Creek Gardens,”’ who selected & introduced this variety. They rate this as hardy to Zone 6 (protected), otherwise Zone 7-9.
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Lavender, Green Fern-leaf
Lavandula minutolii
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Sun-P.Sun
Height: 1-3 Feet
Water: Normal
Soil: Loamy-Sandy Well Drained
Common Uses: Culinary, , Medicinal, , Ornamental
Leaves are much lacier and greener than "Fern-leaf" and flowers are stunningly purple! Hey! Short descriptions don't mean you should pass it by.
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Lavender, Herb Companion
Lavandula dentata 'Linda Ligon'
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8a 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to P.Shade
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Water: Normal
Soil: Loamy-Sandy Well Drained
Common Uses: Culinary, , Medicinal, , Ornamental
"Thanks for the Memories"

The real thing! Stunning full white variegation. Highly ornamental, feathery, light leaaves with greamy white streaks and a touch of green. Beautiful blue buds enliven our summers. Folige will revert to more green, which should be removed. Tolerates morning shade, but flowers will become more whitish and is an O.K. house plant in a sunny window. Named in honor of an remarkable lady, whom we had the pleasure of meeting in 2000, Linda Ligon, founding editor of the "Herb Companion" magazine.
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Lavender, Silver Fern-leaf
Lavandula buchii
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Sun-P.Sun
Height: 1-3 Feet
Water: Normal
Soil: Loamy-Sandy Well Drained
Common Uses: Alpine Rockery, Bedding Plant, Borders, Culinary, Cut Flower, Medicinal, Ornamental, Potpourri, Soap Making
Much like "Fern-Leaf lavender" but foliage is truly silver and flowers a little lighter blue. Give it a year and it'll give you virtual non-stop blooming even throughout the winter. Indoors, place in a sunny window with small draft. Earthy, aromatic foliage.
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Lemon Grass
Cymbopogon citratus
Cold Tolerance: Zone 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Full Sun
Height: 2-3 Feet
Water: Wet
Soil: Organic
Common Uses: Culinary, , Tea
Tropical, water loving grass which is popular in commercial teas, because its bold, sweet lemon flavor is released by hot water. My Southeast Asian friend spoke of literally fishing for a meal and making a lemon grass fish soup, at work, during lunch hour. Overwinter as a houseplant, next to a sunny window, with saucer kept full of water. Do not purchase “East Indian Lemon Grass”- taste like nothing!
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Lemon Verbena
Aloysia citriodora (A. triphylla)
Cold Tolerance: Zone 7b 8a 9a 9b-11
Light: Sun-P.Sun
Height: 3-6 Feet
Water: Wet-Normal
Soil: Organic
Common Uses: Culinary, , Medicinal, Potpourri, Soap Making, Tea
Bright green elliptical leaves give off the most scintillating lemon flavor in fruit salad, cake and sorbets. Difficult to overwinter, but summer's growth provides enough to freeze or dry for tea and winter treats. For the winter gardener, we recommend allowing it to receive 1-2 frost to kill leaves before bringing in for the winter & starting new. This will leave any spider mites, whitefly or aphids outside!
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Mexican Bush Oregano
Polimintha longiflora
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8a 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Full Sun
Height: to 3 feet
Water: Dry-Normal
Soil: Organic-Loamy
Common Uses: Culinary, , Ornamental
Pale lavender 1" trumpets perform with glossy foliage throughout the summer. Quite a foxy companion on your patio with the extreme oregano flavor of traditional Southwest cooking.
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Mexican Oregano
Lippia graveolens
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8a 9a 9b-11
Light: Sun-P.Sun
Height: to 5 Feet
Water: Wet-Normal
Soil: Organic-Loamy
Common Uses: Culinary, , Medicinal
Labeled as true oregano or Ore'gano cimmaron in Mexico and southwest U.S., but botanically it's not. I would describe it as oregano with a funky, cilantro (piquant) flavor. Leaves are bright green & scalloped on semi-woody branches, which if properly pruned, will look like a small tree. For authentic southwest chili look no further.
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Mexican Oregano, Caraway
Lippa sp.
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8a 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun
Height: 2 x 3 ft.
Water: Normal
Soil: Organic-Loamy
Common Uses: Culinary, Topiary
New For 2008

Athough we received it as "Caraway Verbena," Mark's pretty sure it's a combination of caraway and mexican oregano, subtle enough for omelets with a oregano flair for stews. We enjoyed it fresh rather than cooked at all. Not found in any reference around here.
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Moujean Tea
Nashia inagnensis
Cold Tolerance: Zone 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Full Sun
Height: 2 Feet
Water: Wet-Normal
Soil: Organic-Loamy
Common Uses: Bonsai, , Miniature/Faery Garden, , Tea
This tropical shrub looks like a tabletop gingko tree, suitable for bonsai and landscapes. Leaf and winter flowers (tiny cream colored buds) are added to tea blends to impart a vanilla flavor. Flowers form mini orange fruits only 1/8". Ideal while playing a challenging game of "Moujean" (oriental board game) with friends.
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Myrtle, Mini
Myrtus communis var.tarentenia `Microphylla'
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Full Sun
Height: 1-3 Feet
Water: Normal
Soil: Organic-Loamy
Flowers: Late Summer
Common Uses: Bonsai, , Culinary, , Houseplants
Prized by topiary and bonsai enthusiasts for it's white flowers, white striped variegated foliage and semi-weeping form. Mini black fruits form in late summer. From the Mediterranean region, it is used sparingly to flavor lamb & other meats. Fine houseplant that is hardy to a warm Zone 8 with help.
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Myrtle, Mini Variegated
Myrtus communis var.tarentenia `Microphylla Variegata'
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Full Sun
Height: 1-3 Feet
Water: Normal
Soil: Organic-Loamy
Flowers: Late Summer
Common Uses: Bonsai, , Culinary, , Houseplants
Prized by topiary and bonsai enthusiasts for it's white flowers, white striped variegated foliage and semi-weeping form. Mini black fruits form in late summer. From the Mediterranean region, it is used sparingly to flavor lamb & other meats. Fine houseplant that is hardy to a warm Zone 8 with help.
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Oregano, Dittany of Crete
Origanum dictamnus
Cold Tolerance: Zone 8a 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Full Sun
Height: 2-4 inches
Water: Dry-Normal
Soil: Sandy-Loamy
Flowers: Early Summer to Late Summer to Middle Summer
Common Uses: Alpine Rockery, Container, Medicinal, Ornamental
Jar Gem

Gray-white, round fuzzy leaves & reddish-pink, hop-like flower heads are a fine match. Most people don't realize it's an oregano. It's a natural in hanging baskets, strawberry jars, and other mixed containers. Herb of Fertility: So, here you go grandma wanna-bees.
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Oregano, Italian
Origanum x majoranum
Cold Tolerance: Zone 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun to Full Sun
Height: 1-2 Feet
Water: Normal
Soil: Sandy-Loamy
Common Uses: Bees, , Culinary
Grows tall, upright, and productive, like Greek Oregano but has a flavor closer to sweet marjoram! You have to taste it to appreciate it. Excellent choice oregano for the scrutinizing gourmet.
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Oregano, Micro Silver
Origanum microphyllum
Cold Tolerance: Zone 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun
Height: 2 to 4 inches
Water: Dry-Normal
Soil: Loamy-Sandy Well Drained
Flowers: Late SummerMiddle Summer
Common Uses: Culinary, , Ornamental
Incredibly small, silvery, powerfully flavored, miniature variety of oregano with deep purple flowers in the late summer. Mark was taken aback when he saw these half starved alpines at a Michigan nursery. We have since multiplied and norished them in hipes that you will help us introduce this phenom to other gardners, but be sure to tell them it is not a thyme, it is oregano!
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Oregano, Zaatar
Origanum syriacum
Cold Tolerance: Zone 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b-11
Light: Full Sun
Height: 1 x 2 ft.
Water: Normal
Soil: Sandy-Loamy
Common Uses: Culinary
New for 1007

Bulgar, tomatoes, green onions, fresh parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper and this Middle eastern variety of oregano and what do you have? Traditional Tabouleh. For a non-greek, sweet flavor, try this instead of your typical oregano.
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Patchouli
Pogostemon patchouli
Cold Tolerance: Zone 9b-11
Light: P.Shade-P.Sun to P. Shade
Height: 1 Foot
Water: Wet-Normal
Soil: Organic
Common Uses: Bees, , Potpourri
Easy to grow houseplant in baskets or in the garden, just give it room. Scallop edged leaves are collected, then dried for potpourris. Bring into house before first frost and watch the flower clusters come out, knowing they will rob the leaf scent. To prevent “Patchouli” from flowering, it must have 12 hours of light. Grown commercially for oil in perfumes & incense. Groovy!
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Root Beer Plant
Piper auritum (santum)
Cold Tolerance: Zone 9b-11
Light: Shade to P.Shade-P.Sun
Height: 3-20 Feet
Water: Wet
Soil: Organic
Common Uses: Culinary, , Fragrant
Let us explain. This is not the source for a rootbeer float but the fragrance is similar. The 8-inch heart shaped leaves are used to wrap fish or pork in Mexican and Indian cooking. A customer of ours from Central America (see our Culantro entry) told us she uses it like tamales. So, I steamed a corn bread/ stuffing-for-peppers blend, wrapped with root beer leaves. We ate the sweet leaves and all! Imagine Mark coming into our kitchen at the end of a long day and smelling that! Remember to find a moist large spot for this novelty herb and it will grow up to 4-5 feet, in the first growing season.
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