Perennial Herbs That Come Back Every Year

Chives, thyme, oregano, sage, mint, French tarragon and lovage come back every year across most of the US, from zone 4 or 5 through zone 8 or 9. Rosemary, bay laurel, lemongrass and marjoram are perennial too, but only in mild-winter zones; in the North they need to come indoors or be replanted. Basil, cilantro and dill are annuals everywhere, and parsley is a biennial. Plant the hardy group once in a sunny, well-drained bed and you will be cutting fresh herbs every spring for years with almost no work.

Part of our Vegetable Gardening & Raised Beds guide →

In this guide

1. Perennial Herbs by USDA Zone
2. The Hardiest Perennial Herbs (Zones 3 to 5)
3. Mediterranean Perennial Herbs (Zones 5 to 9)
4. Warm-Climate Perennial Herbs (Zones 8 to 11)
5. Herbs That Seem Perennial but Are Not
6. How to Plant a Low-Effort Perennial Herb Bed
7. Year-Round Care
8. A Starter Perennial Herb Bed by Region
9. Frequently Asked Questions

Perennial Herbs by USDA Zone

Zone ranges below are the typical hardiness ranges for each herb in well-drained soil. Poor drainage effectively knocks a zone or more off the cold end.

Herb	Perennial in zones	Height	Notes
Chives	3–9	12–18 in	First herb up in spring; edible purple flowers
Garlic chives	4–9	12–20 in	White fall flowers; reseeds heavily
Mint	3–8 (varies by type)	12–24 in	Spreads by runners; contain it
Lovage	3–8	4–6 ft	Celery flavor; one plant is plenty
Sorrel	4–8	12–24 in	Lemony leaves; cut flower stalks
Horseradish	3–9	2–3 ft	Very hard to remove once planted
Thyme	5–9	6–12 in	Needs sharp drainage
Oregano	5–9	12–24 in	Greek oregano has the best flavor
Garden sage	5–8	18–30 in	Woody; replace every 4–5 years
French tarragon	4–8	18–24 in	Buy plants; does not come true from seed
Lemon balm	4–9	18–24 in	Reseeds; shear before seed sets
Winter savory	5–8	6–12 in	Peppery; good edging plant
English lavender	5–8	18–30 in	Culinary and ornamental
Fennel (bronze or herb)	5–9	4–6 ft	Reseeds; keep away from dill
Rosemary	7–10 (some to 6)	2–5 ft	‘Arp’ and ‘Madeline Hill’ are the hardiest
Bay laurel	8–10	Shrub or tree	Pot it and bring indoors in colder zones
Lemon verbena	9–11	3–6 ft	Drops leaves in winter; returns from roots in zone 8 with mulch
Lemongrass	9–11	3–5 ft	Grown as an annual elsewhere
Marjoram	9–10	12 in	Annual in most of the US

The Hardiest Perennial Herbs (Zones 3 to 5)

If you garden in Minnesota, northern New England, the Rockies or the upper Midwest, build your bed around the herbs that shrug off deep cold.

Chives and garlic chives

Chives are the most dependable perennial herb in the country. They emerge as soon as the snow melts, flower in late spring and keep producing until hard frost. Cut whole clumps of leaves an inch above the soil and they regrow within weeks. Divide clumps every three years in early spring. Garlic chives have flat leaves and a mild garlic flavor; they flower in late summer and will seed everywhere unless you remove the flower heads before they turn brown.

Mint

Spearmint and peppermint are hardy to zone 3 or 4 and will survive almost anything except being kept dry in deep shade. The problem is the opposite: underground runners travel several feet a season. Grow mint in a pot, or sink a bottomless 5-gallon bucket into the bed with the rim an inch above soil level. Different mints planted together lose their distinct flavors over time as runners mingle, so keep them separate.

Lovage, sorrel and horseradish

Lovage is a big, celery-flavored plant that reaches 5 feet and returns every year with no attention; one plant feeds a household. French sorrel gives tart, lemony leaves from early spring, before most greens are ready; cut flower stalks to keep leaves tender. Horseradish is very hardy but almost impossible to eradicate because any bit of root left in the soil regrows, so plant it in a corner you will never want back, or in a large container.

Mediterranean Perennial Herbs (Zones 5 to 9)

Thyme, oregano, sage, winter savory and lavender are woody or semi-woody plants from dry, rocky hillsides. Their winter hardiness ratings assume excellent drainage. In heavy clay that stays wet from November to March, they rot at the crown even in zone 6. Fix that first and they are some of the longest-lived herbs you can grow.

• Thyme: common thyme and lemon thyme are the cooking standards. Shear by a third after flowering to prevent woody, bare centers. Plants typically need replacing after four to five years.
• Oregano: Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum) has the strongest flavor. Common oregano sold as “Origanum vulgare” is often mild and spreads more.
• Sage: cut back lightly in spring once new buds show, never hard into old bare wood in fall. ‘Berggarten’ has large leaves and rarely flowers.
• Winter savory: a compact, peppery evergreen subshrub that makes a neat edge along a path.
• Lavender: English types such as ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’ are best for cooking; see our Hidcote lavender guide for care.

French tarragon belongs with this group for drainage needs, though it is hardier, to zone 4. Buy it as a plant and smell or taste a leaf before buying; seed sold as tarragon is almost always the flavorless Russian type.

Warm-Climate Perennial Herbs (Zones 8 to 11)

In the Gulf Coast, Florida, the Southwest and coastal California, a different set of herbs becomes permanent.

• Rosemary: grows into a 3 to 5 foot shrub in zones 8 to 10. In zone 7, plant ‘Arp’ or ‘Madeline Hill’ against a south-facing wall. Anywhere colder, grow it in a pot and overwinter it in a cool, bright room. Our guide to growing rosemary from seed covers starting your own plants.
• Bay laurel: a slow evergreen tree in zones 8 to 10. In containers it stays shrub-sized and moves indoors easily.
• Lemongrass: forms large clumps in zones 9 to 11. Elsewhere, buy a stalk at the grocery store, root it in water and grow it as an annual.
• Mexican oregano and Cuban oregano: heat-loving substitutes that outperform true oregano in humid Southern summers.
• Marjoram and lemon verbena: perennial in zones 9 and up; treat as annuals in colder areas.

The irony of the hot South is that some cool-climate perennials struggle there. Tarragon, lovage, sorrel and sage often fade in long, humid summers. Southern gardeners usually do better with Mexican mint marigold as a tarragon substitute.

Herbs That Seem Perennial but Are Not

• Parsley is a biennial. It survives winter in zones 5 to 9 and leafs out the next spring, then quickly bolts and sets seed. Replant every year for a steady supply.
• Cilantro and dill are annuals, but they reseed so readily that they come back on their own if you let a few plants flower.
• Basil is a tender annual killed by the first frost. African blue basil is a perennial in zones 10 and 11.
• Chervil is a cool-season annual that reseeds in shady spots.

How to Plant a Low-Effort Perennial Herb Bed

Pick the spot

Choose the sunniest spot you have, ideally close to the kitchen door so you actually use it. Six hours of direct sun is the minimum; eight is better. Chives, mint, lovage and sorrel tolerate part shade, so put them at the shadier end.

Fix drainage before planting

This is the step that decides whether your thyme and sage survive their second winter. In clay, build a raised bed 8 to 12 inches high or a mounded berm. Mix the native soil with about a third coarse sand or fine gravel and a modest amount of compost. Skip the rich, fluffy, high-compost mix you would use for vegetables; it holds too much water and makes herbs leafy and less flavorful. An herb spiral is a neat way to build in both height and drainage, with dry-loving herbs at the top and moisture-tolerant ones at the base.

Plant at the right time and spacing

Plant perennial herbs in spring after the last frost, or in early fall at least six weeks before the first hard freeze so roots can establish. Spacing guidelines:

• Thyme, winter savory, chives: 10 to 12 inches
• Oregano, tarragon, lemon balm: 18 inches
• Sage, lavender: 18 to 24 inches
• Rosemary (in mild zones): 24 to 36 inches
• Lovage, fennel: 24 to 36 inches, at the back

Buy small transplants of the woody herbs rather than starting from seed; thyme, sage and oregano take most of a season from seed to harvest size, and French tarragon cannot be grown from seed at all. Chives, lovage and sorrel are easy from seed if you want to save money.

Mulch with gravel, not wood

A 1-inch layer of pea gravel or crushed stone around Mediterranean herbs keeps the crown dry, reflects heat and suppresses weeds. Wood mulch holds moisture against stems and can encourage rot. Leafy herbs such as chives, sorrel and mint are fine with shredded leaf or straw mulch.

Year-Round Care

• Spring: wait until new growth appears before cutting back woody herbs, then trim off winter-damaged tips. Divide chives, oregano and mint every three years.
• Summer: harvest often; regular cutting keeps plants compact. Water deeply every week or two in dry spells once established. If plants get tall and floppy, see why herbs get leggy.
• Fall: stop heavy harvesting of woody herbs about six weeks before frost so they can harden off. Leave the stems standing over winter.
• Winter: in zones 5 and 6, a loose cover of evergreen boughs helps thyme and sage through open, snowless cold. Bring potted rosemary and bay indoors before temperatures drop below about 20°F.

Fertilizer is rarely needed. A thin layer of compost each spring is enough for leafy herbs. Mediterranean herbs need nothing at all in average soil; extra nitrogen makes them grow fast, flop and taste weaker. For a wider look at planning the whole space, see our vegetable gardening guide.

A Starter Perennial Herb Bed by Region

• Cold North (zones 3–5): chives, garlic chives, mint in a pot, lovage, sorrel, French tarragon, thyme in a raised corner, plus potted rosemary.
• Mid-Atlantic and Midwest (zones 6–7): chives, thyme, Greek oregano, sage, tarragon, winter savory, English lavender, ‘Arp’ rosemary in a sheltered spot.
• South and West (zones 8–10): rosemary, Greek oregano, thyme, sage (with afternoon shade in hot areas), bay laurel, lemongrass, Mexican mint marigold, garlic chives.