Herbs and Flowers
Herbs are herbaceous plants used to flavor foods and for home remedies. It is best to seed or transplant herbs during cooler months in the tropics. Flowers, as well as being pleasing ornamentals, serve to attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Flowers are also used as companion plants, to repel insect and nematode pests, and to improve the soil.
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Dill Anethum graveolens
Dill
Dill is a freely-branching, blue-green, feathery-leafed, annual herb, with yellow flowers in an umbrella-like cluster, growing to 1 m tall. Dill has been cultivated for centuries from the Mediterranean to southern Russia for both the seeds and leaves. It is now naturalized and grows wild on...- Also available in:
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Oregano Origanum vulgare
Oregano, Wild Marjoram
Oregano is a tangled, bushy, perennial, aromatic herb, with stems up to 1 m long, and used as a culinary herb and for essential oil. Oregano has good heat and drought tolerance. -
Coriander/Cilantro Coriandrum sativum
Cilantro, Chinese Parsley, Dhania, Coriander (Seed)
Coriander/Cilantro is a cool-climate, annual crop, up to 1.5 m in height, with small white flowers, valued for its seeds (coriander) and leaves (cilantro). Leaves are used in soups, stews, salads, and stir-fry dishes. Seeds are used whole or ground in bread, cheeses, curry, sausages, and soups. -
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Basil, Sweet Basil
Basil is an upright, aromatic, annual plant, up to 75 cm in height, and used as a culinary herb and for essential oil. The leaves of basil are often used as a seasoning in tomato sauces and the basis for making pesto. There are many varieties of basil with different colored leaves and unique... -
Parsley Petroselinum crispum
Parsley, Flat Leaf Parsley, Italian Parsley, Curly Parsley, Continental Parsley
Parsley is an upright, herbaceous plant, growing to 70 cm in height. In temperate regions, parsley is a biennial, putting on vegetative growth the first season, over-wintering, then flowering the following season. In tropical regions it will not flower or produce seeds. It is commonly used as a... -
Culantro Eryngium foetidum
Culantro, Spiny Coriander, Sawtooth Coriander
Culantro is a biennial or short-lived perennial native to tropical America. It is grown mainly for its leaves which are used as a culinary herb in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Plants grow 8 to 40 cm tall with leaves arranged in a spiral pattern around a central stem. Leaves... -
Tithonia Tithonia diversifolia
Mexican sunflower, Tree Marigold
Mexican Sunflower is a woody, perennial, plant with showy yellow flowers growing to 3 m in height. It can be used as an ornamental, hedge, compost ingredient, fodder, green manure, and soil erosion control. Mexican sunflower is known to be efficient in extracting phosphorus from the soil. Green... -
Ornamental Amaranth Amaranthus caudatus
Love Lies Bleeding, Inca Wheat
Ornamental amaranth is a fast-growing annual, up to 2.5 m in height. The stems end in a large, sometimes drooping inflorescence that may be red, purple or green. The leaves may be used as a leafy vegetable. -
Cosmos are an annual, semi-hardy herb up to 2 m tall with bright orange or yellow flowers generally used as an ornamental. Cosmos are also effective nectaries for butterflies, and can be planted to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects such as syrphid flies, lacewings, and parasitic...
Cosmos Cosmos sulphureus
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Chia is an annual plant in the mint family, growing to 1.75 m, and cultivated for its very nutritious seeds which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Chia is a short day plant best suited for the tropics and sub-tropics.
Chia Salvia hispanica
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African Marigold Tagetes erecta
American Marigold, Aztec Marigold, Big Marigold, Mexican Marigold
African marigold is an upright growing, aromatic, annual plant, up to 1.25 m in height, with showy, fragrant flowers up to 10 cm in diameter. This plant is noted for repelling nematodes. -
French marigold is an upright growing, aromatic, compact, annual plant, up to 40 cm in height, with showy, fragrant flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. This plant is noted for repelling nematodes.
French Marigold Tagetes patula
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Zinnias are a bushy annual, with showy flowers, up to 1.4 m in height. The plants are mainly grown as an ornamental but also serve as a companion plant to attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
Zinnia Zinnia elegans