Best Herbs to Grow in California
California sits in USDA Hardiness Zone 9. These 43 herb varieties are suited to California's 290-day growing season with last frost around February 15 and first frost around December 1.
Varieties
43
for California
USDA Zone
9
290-day season
Beginner
36
easy to grow
Heirloom
33
heritage varieties
California in USDA Zone 9
California is primarily in Zone 9. Varieties that thrive in this zone will typically grow well across the state, though local microclimates vary.
When to Plant Herbs in California
Growing Herbs in California
Zone 9 gardeners enjoy one of the longest herb-growing seasons in the continental US, with nearly 290 frost-free days stretching from mid-February through November. This extended season is both a blessing and a challenge – while you can harvest fresh herbs almost year-round, the intense summer heat and humidity can stress many varieties. The key is choosing heat-tolerant herbs and understanding which ones will bolt quickly in your climate versus those that thrive in the warmth.
When selecting herbs for Zone 9, prioritize varieties known for heat tolerance and slow bolting. Mediterranean herbs like Greek Oregano, Common Thyme, and English Lavender absolutely love your climate, often performing better here than in cooler zones. Basil varieties are particularly well-suited to Zone 9's warm temperatures – just be prepared to succession plant cool-season herbs like Cilantro and Dill every few weeks during spring and fall to ensure continuous harvests before they bolt in the heat.
The varieties we've selected specifically excel in Zone 9's unique conditions. Heat-loving herbs like French Tarragon and Garden Sage will establish strong root systems during your mild winters, while multiple basil varieties give you options from early spring through late fall. Smart variety selection and strategic planting times will keep your herb garden productive when other zones are dealing with winter dormancy.
Variety Comparison
Variety Details
Apple Mint
Flowers well under long days. Tolerates light frost. Group 3-4: considered a "main season" or "all season variety". Mix includes rose shades, cherry, pink, orchid, red, golden, lemon, and white. Edible Flowers: The flowers are a colorful garnish for use in salads, desserts, and drinks. The flavor is floral and slightly bitter, so use sparingly.
Bouquet Dill
Early flowering plants produce large blooms, seed umbels, and foliage on long stems, making Bouquet the preferred dill for cut-flower use and pickling. Also an economical, fast-growing choice for baby-leaf production. Edible seeds, flowers, and greens flavor many foods. Popular addition to sauces, salads, and soup. Foliage known as dill weed. Edible Flowers: The flowers are used to garnish potato salad, green salads, and pickles. When broken into florets, they can be mixed into a cheese spread or omelet.Also available in organic seed.
Chocolate Basil
Flowers measure 4-6" across and are a rich brown on the tops of the petals and a lovely, striped yellow on the undersides. Great in bouquets and garden borders. Stem length is 10-24". Bears pollen; good for bee forage.
Chocolate Mint
Flowers measure 4-6" across and are a rich brown on the tops of the petals and a lovely, striped yellow on the undersides. Great in bouquets and garden borders. Stem length is 10-24". Bears pollen; good for bee forage.
Cilantro
Santo is a slow-bolting selection grown for its leaves. Like the leaves and seeds, the flowers are also edible. NOTE: We test all our cilantro/coriander lots for the presence of Pseudomonas. Attracts Beneficial Insects: if allowed to flower, provides pollen and nectar for beneficial insects such as, bees, hoverflies, and tachinid flies.Edible Flowers: Use them raw because the flavor fades quickly when cooked. Sprinkle to taste on salads, bean dishes, chicken, and spicy Southwestern dishes. Flavor is of mild cilantro.
Common Thyme
Strong, robust, heavily branched plants produce high yields. Classic culinary and ornamental herb. Complex flavor is sweet and pungent with notes of pine and citrus. Small round to needle-shaped evergreen leaves on woody stems. Perennial in Zones 5-8. Mulch in cold winter climates. Edible Flowers: The flowers are small, but have a mild thyme flavor. Use the flowers in potato dishes and salads.
Cuban Oregano
Despite its name, this isn't a true oregano but a succulent herb with thick, fuzzy leaves that pack an intense oregano-thyme flavor punch. Popular in Caribbean, Mexican, and Indian cuisines, this heat-loving perennial is perfect for hot climates where traditional oregano struggles. Its robust flavor means a little goes a long way, and it's incredibly easy to propagate from cuttings.
Curly Parsley
The quintessential garnish herb with tightly curled, emerald green leaves that add both visual appeal and fresh flavor to countless dishes. This biennial herb is incredibly hardy and productive, offering continuous harvests from spring through fall and even surviving light frosts. Its dense, ruffled foliage makes an attractive edging plant while providing a reliable source of vitamin-rich fresh herbs.
English Lavender
A compact, hardy lavender variety that's perfect for beginners and produces fragrant purple flower spikes beloved by bees and butterflies. This drought-tolerant perennial offers the classic lavender fragrance that's perfect for sachets, cooking, and aromatherapy while forming neat, silvery-green mounds in the garden. Munstead is one of the most cold-hardy lavender varieties, making it suitable for northern climates.
Fennel Bronze
A stunning ornamental herb that combines feathery bronze-colored foliage with the distinctive anise flavor that makes fennel a culinary treasure. This dramatic variety serves double duty as both an eye-catching garden focal point and a source of flavorful leaves, seeds, and flowers for cooking. Bronze fennel's graceful, thread-like foliage creates beautiful texture in herb gardens while attracting beneficial insects like swallowtail butterflies.
Fernleaf Dill
Abundant dark blue-green foliage. Great in containers or in small spaces. AAS Winner. Ht. 6-8".
Flat-Leaf Parsley
Also known as Italian parsley, this variety offers superior flavor compared to curly parsley with its clean, bright taste that doesn't overpower dishes. The flat, deeply-cut leaves are easier to chop and provide a fresh, grassy flavor that's essential in Mediterranean cooking. This hardy biennial is incredibly productive and continues growing through light frosts, making it a kitchen garden staple.
French Lavender
Distinguished by its unique serrated leaves and topped flower spikes crowned with purple bracts, French lavender brings year-round beauty to warm climate gardens. This aromatic herb blooms almost continuously in mild climates and offers a slightly camphor-like fragrance that's perfect for crafts and cooking. More heat and humidity tolerant than English lavender, making it ideal for challenging growing conditions.
Garland Chrysanthemum
Cut greens when about 4-8" tall for a flavorful addition to salads, vegetables, pickles, and sushi. Edible, small, orange and yellow chrysanthemum flowers appear later on unharvested plants. This is the preferred "fine" or "small" leaf strain.
Garlic Chives
Wide, flat leaves are attractive and easy to harvest. Mild garlic flavor. USDA Certified Organic.
German Thyme
Strong, robust, heavily branched plants produce high yields. Classic culinary and ornamental herb. Complex flavor is sweet and pungent with notes of pine and citrus. Small round to needle-shaped evergreen leaves on woody stems. Perennial in Zones 5-8. Mulch in cold winter climates. Edible Flowers: The flowers are small, but have a mild thyme flavor. Use the flowers in potato dishes and salads.
Gourmet Gold Dill
A stunning ornamental dill variety with bright golden-yellow foliage that adds both culinary value and visual drama to herb gardens. The vibrant color intensifies in cool weather while maintaining the classic dill flavor profile. Perfect for gardeners who want their herb garden to double as landscape decoration.
Greek Oregano
Strong oregano aroma and flavor - great for pizza and Italian cooking. Characteristic dark green leaves with white flowers. Attracts Beneficial Insects: provides pollen and nectar for beneficial insects such as bees, hoverflies, lacewing larva, parasitic wasps, and tachinid flies. Edible Flowers: The flowers have an oregano flavor and can be used in the same manner as the herb. They are especially good in pasta salads, green salads, and as a fresh pizza topping.
Holy Basil
1 1/2" long green leaves, with purple stems. Known for its use in Hindu culture and Ayurveda. Also known as Tulsi. A common ingredient in Thai cuisine and in teas. Used medicinally for digestion and immune system support. Ht. 16-22".
Italian Large Leaf Oregano
The authentic oregano variety used in traditional Italian cooking, featuring large, robust leaves with an intensely aromatic flavor that's more pungent than common oregano. This true Mediterranean herb produces small white flowers that attract beneficial insects while the leaves deliver the classic pizza and pasta sauce flavor that made oregano famous. Heat actually intensifies its flavor, making it perfect for cooking applications.
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'
A compact, award-winning English lavender variety prized for its deep purple flower spikes and intensely fragrant oil content. This hardy perennial forms neat, silvery-green mounds that bloom profusely from early summer through fall, making it perfect for borders, containers, and herb gardens. Hidcote's exceptional fragrance and rich color have made it a favorite among gardeners and commercial growers alike.
Lemon Grass
Our seeds have been carefully cleaned to remove the chaff (seed coat material), resulting in a higher germination rate. A delicious addition to soups, curries, teas, and any other dish calling for lemon grass. Essential oil distilled from this variety contains large amounts of citral and geraniol and can be used for flavorings, perfumes, and insect repellent. 6-12 stalks per plant, depending on growing climate.
Lemon Thyme
Pick at 1½-2½" diameter. This versatile cucumber is sweet and flavorful, and doesn't have much of the chemical that makes other cucumbers bitter and hard to digest. Though often served raw, Lemon is also a good pickling cucumber. Specialty market salad item. NOTE: Very late to begin bearing. USDA Certified Organic.
Lemon Verbena
No herb delivers a more intense, pure lemon fragrance than Lemon Verbena, making it indispensable for teas, desserts, and potpourri. This South American native produces narrow, lance-shaped leaves that release their incredible citrus scent at the slightest touch. While it requires protection from frost, its unmatched lemon flavor and aroma make it worth the extra care for any serious herb gardener.
Lime Basil
Adds a unique flair to cocktails, fish, and salads. Compact plant has 2" long bright-green leaves. Ht. 16-20".Edible Flowers: Use the flowers in any recipe that calls for basil, or to garnish drinks, salads, soups, pasta, and desserts. Flavor is of intense basil and citrus.
Mammoth Dill
Large 2" blossoms in bright, clear colors of red, purple, mauve, pink, blue, and white. Blooms over a long period with exceptional fragrance. Can be spelled either as sweet pea or sweetpea. Attracts hummingbirds.
Mexican Mint Marigold
Sweet licorice flavor brightens salads and main dishes. The edible golden-yellow flowers bloom all summer. Thrives in warmer climates where French tarragon will not grow. Also known as sweet mace or Mexican tarragon. Edible Flowers: Use the flowers to garnish desserts and drinks with the same sweet licorice flavor as the leaves.
Mexican Tarragon
Sweet licorice flavor brightens salads and main dishes. The edible golden-yellow flowers bloom all summer. Thrives in warmer climates where French tarragon will not grow. Also known as sweet mace or Mexican tarragon. Edible Flowers: Use the flowers to garnish desserts and drinks with the same sweet licorice flavor as the leaves.
Moroccan Mint
The traditional mint of North African tea culture, prized for its intensely sweet flavor and exceptional fragrance. This spearmint variety produces vibrant green leaves with a refreshing, clean taste that's less aggressive than peppermint. Perfect for the classic Moroccan mint tea and a beautiful, aromatic addition to any herb garden.
Orange Mint
This big sister to Sonja has larger flowers and thicker, sturdier stems. Branches are 35-48" and sport 4-6" blooms. May yield as many as 20-25 stems/plant. First sunflower to win an All-America Selections award. Also suitable for year-round greenhouse production. Day-length neutral. Minimal pollen. Branching. AAS Winner.
Origanum vulgare 'Hot & Spicy'
An intensely flavorful oregano variety that delivers exceptional heat and pungency, perfect for pizza sauces, Mediterranean dishes, and spicy cuisine. This vigorous perennial produces abundant small leaves packed with essential oils that far exceed common oregano in both flavor intensity and aromatic qualities. The compact, spreading habit makes it ideal for containers and herb garden borders where its potent fragrance can be easily accessed.
Peppermint
Vivid pink-on-white striping on the petiole. Glossy dark green leaves make for a striking contrast with the brilliant white veins. Deep leaf savoy for higher leaf volume. Long, strong petioles and upright habit make for quick and easy harvesting and bunching. Selected for strong disease tolerance and high bolt resistance. Peppermint is more than a novelty item; its strong agronomic qualities make it an outstanding performer in the field, and its beautiful color grabs attention at market. The ace of our field trials year after year.
Petroselinum crispum 'Forest Green'
The ultimate curly parsley variety featuring exceptionally dark green, tightly curled leaves that maintain their vibrant color and crisp texture longer than standard varieties. This uniform, compact plant produces abundant harvests of premium-quality leaves perfect for garnishing and cooking, with superior bolt resistance extending the harvest season. Forest Green's attractive appearance and reliable performance make it a favorite among both home gardeners and commercial growers.
Pineapple Sage
A spectacular perennial herb with heart-shaped leaves that smell exactly like fresh pineapple when crushed, followed by brilliant red tubular flowers that hummingbirds absolutely adore. This fast-growing sage variety brings tropical fragrance to temperate gardens and offers a unique fruity flavor unlike any other herb. The stunning late-season blooms make it a standout in both herb and ornamental gardens.
Purple Ruffles Oregano
A stunning ornamental oregano that doubles as a culinary herb with its deeply ruffled purple-bronze leaves and cascading habit. The dramatic foliage color intensifies in cool weather, making it a standout in both herb gardens and decorative containers. While milder than Greek oregano, it still provides good flavor for cooking along with exceptional beauty.
Purple Top White Globe Turnip
A classic heirloom turnip variety prized for its sweet, mild flavor and distinctive purple and white coloring that makes it as beautiful as it is delicious. Both the tender roots and nutritious greens are edible, giving gardeners two crops from one planting. This fast-growing cool-season crop is perfect for spring and fall gardens and stores well through winter.
Rosemary
Native to the Mediterranean region, rosemary has silvery needle-like foliage and delicate flowers. Popular for potted plant sales and with chefs. NOTE: Germination is naturally low and variable. Edible Flowers: Although the flowers are small, they have a bold rosemary flavor. They should be used fresh as a garnish for savory dishes and salads, and pairs well with roasted vegetables, fruits, or whipped cream.
Silver Thyme
Small, silvery green leaves on well-branched stems are ideal for fresh or dried bouquets. Also known as cider gum, gum, and euc. Tender perennial in Zones 9-11.
Spearmint
The classic mint variety beloved for its bright, refreshing flavor and vigorous spreading habit that makes it perfect for beginning gardeners. Unlike peppermint, spearmint has a sweeter, less intense flavor that's perfect for teas, cocktails, and Middle Eastern cuisine. This hardy perennial spreads rapidly through underground runners, making it ideal for contained growing or naturalizing in moist areas.
Stevia
Use fresh, dried, powdered, or as a liquid to sweeten a variety of foods and beverages. Bushy, high-yielding plants. Perennial in Zones 9-11.
Summer Savory
Pepper flavor adds spice to dishes. For flavoring fresh and dry beans, cabbage, and sauerkraut. Long internodes create a tall, somewhat lanky plant.
Sweet Marjoram
A delicate Mediterranean herb prized for its sweet, pine-like fragrance and subtle floral flavor that's more refined than its cousin oregano. Sweet marjoram is essential in French cuisine and herb blends, offering a gentle warmth that enhances everything from roasted meats to herb butters. This compact, tender perennial is perfect for gardeners seeking a sophisticated culinary herb with old-world charm.
Winter Savory
A hardy Mediterranean perennial with needle-like leaves that provide intense, peppery flavor reminiscent of thyme and oregano combined. This drought-tolerant herb forms attractive low mounds of evergreen foliage topped with delicate white or pink flowers that attract beneficial insects. Known as the 'bean herb' for its traditional pairing with legumes, winter savory is more potent and longer-lasting than its summer cousin.
Zone 9 Growing Tips for California
Start your herb garden early in Zone 9 – you can direct sow hardy herbs like Flat-Leaf Parsley, Common Chives, and Cilantro as early as late January, well before your average last frost date of February 15th. For tender herbs like basil varieties, wait until soil temperatures consistently reach 65°F, typically by early March. This gives them time to establish before summer heat arrives, but protects them from any surprise late cold snaps.
Succession planting is crucial for Zone 9 herb gardeners, especially with cool-season varieties. Plant Cilantro, both Gourmet Gold and Fernleaf Dill, and parsley varieties every 2-3 weeks from February through April, then again starting in late September. These will bolt quickly once temperatures consistently hit the 80s, so staggered plantings ensure you're never without fresh herbs. For continuous basil harvests, plant new seeds every 4-6 weeks from March through August.
Your biggest challenge will be managing summer heat stress from June through August. Provide afternoon shade for cool-season herbs you're trying to extend, and ensure consistent moisture without waterlogging. Many herbs benefit from morning sun and afternoon protection during peak summer. Consider container growing for herbs like Chocolate Mint and Lemon Balm, which can become invasive in your favorable climate.