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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.

  1. 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, in Latin America, and in Southeast Asia. Plants grow 8 to 40 cm tall with leaves arranged in a spiral pattern around a central stem....

  2. Mexican Sunflower Tithonia diversifolia

    Tree Marigold, Tithonia

    Mexican sunflower is a woody perennialwith showy yellow flowers growing to 3 m in height. It can be used as an ornamental, a hedge, a compost ingredient, a fodder, a green manure, and a soil erosion control. Mexican sunflower is known to be efficient in extracting phosphorus from the soil. Green...

  3. 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...

  4. 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.

  5. 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...

  6. 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...

  7. 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.Oregano is a bright blue-green with aromatic, flavorful leaves which can be used fresh or dried.

  8. Cosmos Cosmos sulphureus

    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...

  9. Chia Salvia hispanica

    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.

  10. African Marigold Tagetes erecta

    American Marigold, Aztec Marigold, Big Marigold, Mexican Marigold

    African marigold is an upright growing, aromaticannual plant that getsup to 1.25 m in height. It has showyfragrant flowers up to 10 cm in diameter.This plant is noted for repelling nematodes when planted as a cover crop,then cut, and incorporated into the soil. It acts as a fumigant as the leafy...

  11. French Marigold Tagetes patula

    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 when planted as a cover crop,then cut, and incorporated into the soil. It acts as a fumigant as the leafy...

  12. Zinnia Zinnia elegans

    Zinnia is an upright, bushy warm weather annualwith showy flowers of various colors.Zinnias can be planted around and in garden beds to attract beneficial insects. Zinnias are often grown for sale as cut flowers. They perferfull sun.

  13. Wild Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus

    Cosmos are effective nectaries for butterflies and can be planted to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects such as syrphid flies, lacewings and parasitic wasps. Cosmos are also said to repel the corn earworm. As a companion plant, scatter seeds at plot edges, or plant at intervals...

  14. Spider Flower Cleome gynandra

    African Spiderflower, Spider Plant, Spiderwisp, Cat's Whiskers, Cleome, Gynandro

    Spider flower (Cleome gynandra) is an erect annual, growing up to 150 cm in height and anchored with a long tap root. Its many branches produce compound leaves (with three to seven leaflets per leaf) and long clusters of white, pink, or purple flowers. The seeds are contained in slender, green...

  15. Gaillardia aristata Gaillardia aristata

    Blanketflower, Common Gaillardia

    From Food Plants International A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 20-90 cm tall. There are leaves at the base and on the stems. They are 4-5 cm long by 3-8 mm wide. It is a temperate plant. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. Common gaillardia, Blanketflower,...