HERBS

Herbs are any plants used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs as referring to the leafy green parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), from a "spice", a product from another part of the plant (usually dried), including seeds, berries, bark, roots and fruits.

Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary, medicinal, and in some cases spiritual usage. Culinary herbs are distinguished from vegetables in that, like spices, they are used in small amounts and provide flavor rather than substance to food.

Herbs can be perennials such as thyme or lavender, biennials such as parsley, or annuals like basil. Perennial herbs can be shrubs such as rosemary – this contrasts with botanical herbs, which by definition cannot be woody plants. Some plants are used as both herbs and spices, such as dill weed and dill seed or coriander leaves and seeds. Also, there are some herbs such asthose in the mint family that are used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. There are someherbs which are listed on the Canadian grade tables and they are included here.

Amaranth, Chinese

Amaranthus gangeticus L. (A. tricolor L.) Amaranthaceae

Anise Pimpinella anisum L. (Anisum vulgare Gaertn.) Apiaceae

Arugula (Rocket Salad or Garden Rocket)

Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. subsp. sativa (Mill.) Thell. Brassicaceae

Basil Ocimum basilicum L. Lamiaceae

Caraway Carum carvi L. Apiaceae

Catnip Nepeta cataria L. Lamiaceae

Chervil Anthriscus cerefolium (L.) Hoffm. Apiaceae

Chives Allium schoenoprasum L. Amaryllidaceae

Claytonia (Minors Lettuce, Winter Purslane)

Claytonia perfoliata Donn ex Willd. Montiaceae

Coriander (Cilantro or Chinese Parsley)

Coriandrum sativum L. Apiaceae

Corn Salad Valerianella locusta (L.) Laterr. Caprifoliaceae

Cress, Upland Barbarea vulgaris W. T. Aiton Brassicaceae

Cress, Water Nasturtium officinale W. T. Aiton Brassicaceae

Cross, Water Ipomoea aquatic Forssk. Convolvulaceae

Cumin Cuminum cyminum L. Apiaceae

Dandelion Taraxacum officinale F. H. Wigg. aggr. Asteraceae

Dill Anethum graveolens L. Apiaceae

Fennel, Florence Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Apiaceae

Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum L. Fabaceae

Garlic Chives (Chinese Chives)

Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng. Amaryllidaceae

Golden Purslane (Summer/Garden Purslane)

Portulaca oleracea L. subsp. sativa (Haw.) Schübl. & G. Martens

(Portulaca sativa Haw.) Portulacaceae

Lavender Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Lamiaceae

Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis L. Lamiaceae

Lemon Dragonhead (Moldavain Balm/Dragonhead)

Dracocephalum moldavica L. Lamiaceae

Lovage Levisticum officinale W. D. J. Koch Apiaceae

Marjoram, Sweet Origanum majorana L. Lamiaceae

Matricaria chamomilla L. Chamomile Asteraceae

Mintina (Wormseed)

Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants Chenopodiaceae

Oregano Origanum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare Lamiaceae

Parsley Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss Apiaceae

Peppergrass Garden Cress Lepidium sativum L. Brassicaceae

Peppermint Mentha x piperita L. Lamiaceae

Spearmint Mentha spicata L. Lamiaceae

(Spearmint picture)

Potato Solanum tuberosum L. Solanaceae

Seed within fruits

Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis L. Lamiaceae

Sage Salvia officinalis L. Lamiaceae

Stevia Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni Asteraceae

Sainfoin Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. Fabaceae

Salad Burnett Sanguisorba minor Scop. Rosaceae

Salsify Tragopogon porrifolius L. Asteraceae

Savory, Summer Satureja hortensis L. Lamiaceae

Sesame Sesamum indicum L. Pedaliaceae

Soapwort Saponaria officinalis L. Caryophyllaceae

Strawberry Fragaria spp. Rosaceae

Tarragon (French or Russian)

Artemisia dracunculus L. Asteraceae

Thyme Thymus vulgaris L. Lamiaceae

Valerian Valeriana officinalis L. Caprifoliaceae

Vervain/Verbena Verbena officinalis L. Verbenaceae

Water Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis L. Lamiaceae

Yarrow Achillea millefolium L. Asteraceae