Best Herbs to Grow in Georgia
Georgia sits in USDA Hardiness Zone 8. These 48 herb varieties are suited to Georgia's 240-day growing season with last frost around March 15 and first frost around November 15.
Varieties
48
for Georgia
USDA Zone
8
240-day season
Beginner
39
easy to grow
Heirloom
36
heritage varieties
Georgia in USDA Zone 8
Georgia is primarily in Zone 8. Varieties that thrive in this zone will typically grow well across the state, though local microclimates vary.
When to Plant Herbs in Georgia
Growing Herbs in Georgia
Zone 8 gardeners hit the sweet spot for herb cultivation, enjoying a generous 240-day growing season that allows both cool-season favorites and heat-loving varieties to thrive. Your March 15 average last frost date means you can get tender herbs like basil and cilantro established early, while the November 15 first frost gives you months of continuous harvests well into fall. The key challenge in Zone 8 isn't the cold—it's managing the intense summer heat and humidity that can stress Mediterranean herbs and cause quick-bolting annuals like cilantro to go to seed prematurely.
The best Zone 8 herb varieties combine heat tolerance with extended harvest potential. Look for basil varieties that resist bolting in summer heat, parsley that won't bitter up in July, and perennials like thyme and oregano that can handle both your mild winters and scorching summers. The herbs I've selected below have proven themselves in Zone 8 gardens, offering reliable performance through temperature swings and the region's variable weather patterns.
Variety Comparison
Variety Details
Allium schoenoprasum 'Purly'
A stunning ornamental chive variety that produces vibrant purple-pink flower globes above slender, hollow green stems throughout the growing season. Unlike common chives, Purly offers exceptional flower production and color intensity, making it perfect for edible landscaping, cut flower arrangements, and pollinator gardens. The edible flowers and mild onion-flavored leaves provide both culinary value and garden beauty in one reliable perennial package.
Anise Hyssop
Very aromatic with a sweet, licorice-mint flavor. Vigorous plants produce abundant blooms, attracting bees and other pollinators. Anise hyssop is also known as giant hyssop, blue giant hyssop, fennel giant hyssop, and fragrant giant hyssop.Edible Flowers: Leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried to flavor drinks, salads, soups, pasta, and desserts.USDA Certified Organic.
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 Chives
Compared to Staro, Purly has a more upright plant habit with a slightly straighter leaf. Edible Flowers: Pull the florets apart and sprinkle on salads, dips, sauces, soups, stir-fries, and pizza. Great as an addition to potato salad. Flavor is of mild, sweet onion.
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.
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.
French Tarragon
The aristocrat of culinary herbs, true French tarragon is essential for classic French cuisine with its distinctive anise-like flavor and sophisticated aroma. Unlike Russian tarragon, this sterile variety must be grown from cuttings and offers incomparably superior flavor. A must-have for serious cooks who want to create authentic béarnaise sauce and fine herb blends.
Garden Sage
High essential oil content of 1.5-2.0%. Robust, uniform plant. Also known as garden sage. Edible flowers: Use as garnish, or as an ingredient in rice, egg, or cheese dishes.
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 Chamomile
The classic tea herb beloved for its apple-scented flowers and gentle, soothing properties that have been treasured for centuries. This delicate annual produces masses of small, daisy-like flowers with white petals and bright yellow centers that can be harvested continuously throughout the growing season. Easy to grow and self-seeds readily, creating a charming cottage garden atmosphere while providing homegrown herbal tea.
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.
Gourmet Gold Oregano
A beautiful golden-leaved oregano variety that brings both ornamental beauty and culinary excellence to the herb garden. The bright chartreuse foliage provides stunning color contrast while delivering the classic oregano flavor that's essential for Mediterranean cooking, making it both a feast for the eyes and the palate.
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.
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.
Russian Tarragon
A hardy perennial herb that thrives in cold climates where French Tarragon struggles, though with a milder anise flavor. Russian Tarragon is incredibly easy to grow from seed and forms robust clumps that return year after year, making it perfect for beginning herb gardeners seeking a reliable tarragon experience.
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.
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.
Variegated Sage
A stunning ornamental sage variety featuring leaves splashed with cream, green, and purple-pink variegation that creates a beautiful tapestry effect in the garden. This compact, slower-growing sage maintains all the culinary qualities of common sage while adding exceptional visual appeal to herb gardens and containers. The colorful foliage is especially vibrant in cooler weather.
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 8 Growing Tips for Georgia
Start your herb seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date (early to mid-January for Zone 8), focusing on slow-growing perennials like oregano and thyme. Tender annuals like basil should wait until soil temperatures consistently reach 60°F—typically by early April in Zone 8. Don't rush basil outdoors; even a brief dip into the 40s will stunt growth for weeks. For heat-sensitive herbs like cilantro and parsley, plan succession plantings every 3-4 weeks through spring and resume in late August for fall harvests.
Your biggest Zone 8 challenge comes in mid-summer when temperatures soar and humidity spikes. Provide afternoon shade for Mediterranean herbs like thyme and oregano during July and August—they prefer morning sun but need protection from blazing afternoon heat. Mulch heavily around all herbs to keep roots cool and maintain consistent soil moisture. Consider shade cloth (30-40%) for your entire herb garden during peak summer, and always have fall plantings of cilantro, parsley, and dill ready to go as temperatures moderate in September.