Herbs - S

78 days. Petroselinum crispum. Biennial. Open Pollinated. Italian Plain Leaf Parsley. The plant produces good yields of curled, glossy, dark green parsley leaves. It is a popular biennial herb prized for its flat, deeply cut, dark green leaves and robust, aromatic flavor. This variety has plain, flat, curled leaves. It has a stronger taste than curly parsley, making it ideal for cooking in sauces, soups, salads, meats, fish, pastas, and as a garnish. It is very attractive as a garnish.  Excellent drying variety that has a strong parsley taste. Also known as Plain Leaf Parsley. Excellent choice for herb gardens and specialty markets. United States Department of Agriculture, PI 700864. A variety from the USA. 

Crocus sativus. Perennial. Open Pollinated. The plant produces high yields of saffron, the world's most expensive spice. The plant has violet-purple flowers with brilliant orange-red stigmas that are the source of the aromatic culinary spice. It takes 150,000 orange-red stigmas to make two pounds of the spice. Used by Gourmet Chefs around the world. You don't need to purchase this expensive spice again! Grow your own plants for home use or for restaurant use. The lovely lavender blossoms in fall are an added bonus to your garden. Planted in the fall, it bears lovely lavender flowers the following autumn. Order at least 5 to 10 bulbs to produce enough spice for one recipe. Plant 100 bulbs to produce enough spice for the entire year. Suitable for containers, patios, borders/ rock gardens, window boxes, square-foot gardening, and small gardens. A variety from Greece.

90 days. Salvia officinalis. Perennial. Open Pollinated. Sage Seeds. The plant produces excellent yields of very flavorful silver green leaves. Used fresh or dried to season beans, cheese, poultry, pork, sausages, omelets, cheese and bean dishes, meats, sauces, and tomato dishes. Also used as a digestive and nerve tonic. Sage tea is used to gargle for sore throat. Perfect as a border plant in the herb garden. Suitable for containers. Sage naturally dies after about 5 years, so replant every 3 years. Also known as Broadleaf Sage, Common Sage, and Garden Sage. Excellent choice for home gardens. A variety from the USA.

70 days. Sanguisorba minor. Perennial. Open Pollinated. Salad Burnet. The plant produces excellent yields of salad burnet leaves. It is a popular herb variety prized for its edible leaves that taste like mild cucumber. It is very flavorful and tastes and smells like cucumbers! Used in salads, sandwiches, soups, and stews. Adds cucumber flavor to vinegar, cream cheese, and cold drinks. Also said to be used in facial treatments to improve skin. Also known as Small Burnet, Lesser Burnet, and Garden Burnet.  Keep flowers cut to promote leaf growth. Suitable for container gardening. An excellent choice for herb gardens. United States Department of Agriculture, PI 12577. A variety from the USA.

55 days. Coriandrum sativum. Annual. Open Pollinated. Santo Coriander. This early maturing plant produces good yields of very pungent leaves and seeds. This high-quality coriander is a fast-growing strain grown by market growers. Used in seasoning pickles, bean dishes, chicken, meats, salsa, and spicy foods. Excellent in Mexican, Chinese, and Latin American dishes. The leaves are called Cilantro, and the seeds are called Coriander. A member of the dill family. Suitable for containers. A slow bolting variety. Attracts beneficial insects. Cold Tolerant. An excellent choice for home gardens and greenhouses.

65 days. Sesamun indicum. Annual. Open Pollinated. Sesame Seeds. The plant produces high yields of flavorful leaves and seeds. Leaves are used in tea. Seeds are used in candies, pastries, bread, soups, salads, and Oriental dishes. Produces a lovely bell-shaped flower. Also used for feeding turkey, duck, dove, pheasant, rabbit, quail, and other birds. An excellent choice for home gardens. A variety from India.

1997 All-America Selections Winner! 75 days. Ocimum basilicum. Annual. Open Pollinated. Siam Queen Basil Seeds. The plant produces very flavorful 4" long by 2" wide green basil leaves. This is an improved variety with an outstanding licorice fragrance and flavor. Used in tea, sauces, soups, salads, chicken, seafood, and Thai dishes. Suitable for containers. An excellent choice for home gardens.

45 days. Coriandrum sativum. Annual. Open Pollinated. Slow Bolt Coriander. This early-maturing plant produces very pungent leaves and seeds. It is a popular coriander variety prized for its slow bolting. Used in seasoning pickles and meats. Leaves are used in Mexican, Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern dishes. Seeds are used for curries, pickles, sausages, and baking. It works well fresh and dried. Slow Bolting. The leaves are called Cilantro, and the seeds are called Coriander. Suitable for containers. Excellent choice for herb gardens. A variety from the USA.

85 days. Saponaria officinalis. Perennial. Open Pollinated. Soapwort. The plant produces abundant blooms and dark green leaves. A popular heirloom herb prized for its high saponin content, fragrant pink or white flowers (often clove-scented and stronger in the evening), and ornamental use in cottage gardens, borders, rock gardens, or as groundcover. Leaves, roots, and seeds produce a gentle lather when mixed with water, historically used as a mild soap or detergent for delicate fabrics, wool, and skin. Used to make homemade soaps and shampoo by soaking the roots and leaves in hot water. Also used to relieve skin itchiness and pain, and as a soap. Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It is low-maintenance once established. Drought Tolerant. Excellent choice for herb gardens. United States Department of Agriculture, PI 4758. An heirloom variety from Europe, Asia, and the USA.

60 days. Rumex acetosa. Perennial. Open Pollinated. Sorrel. The plant produces good yields of 8" long greens. It is a popular herb variety prized for its bright, lemony-tangy flavor. The leaves are excellent in salads, soups, and sauces for fish dishes. It has a lemon flavor and is high in Vitamin C, iron, and potassium. Medicinally used in diets for scurvy. A common native species in the grasslands of the USA. An excellent choice for herb gardens. United States Department of Agriculture, PI 27761. A variety from the USA.

85 days. Mentha spicata. Perennial. Open Pollinated. Spearmint. The plant produces good yields of dark green spearmint leaves. This sweet-smelling spearmint is used in candy, teas, jellies, desserts, lamb dishes, and salads. It is also used as a garnish on ice cream, iced drinks, and melons. Adds fragrance to toothpaste, lotions, and tinctures. Spearmint tea is used for medical purposes to treat many ailments, including nausea, hiccups, and poor digestion. Suitable for containers. Excellent choice for herb gardens. A variety from the USA.

70 days. Ocimum basilicum. Annual. Open Pollinated. Spicy Globe Bush Basil. This small compact bush plant produces very flavorful basil leaves. It is a popular compact, dwarf sweet basil variety that forms a tidy globe-shaped plant, making it excellent for containers, window boxes, edging, and small gardens. The plant has small, thin, light-green leaves with a strong, spicy-sweet basil aroma and flavor that is more intense than that of standard Genovese Basil. It is very slow to bolt. A great pollinator and friendly plant that attracts bees and butterflies. Used in sauces, salads, and Italian dishes. Very beautiful. Also known as Boxwood Basil. Suitable for containers and landscaping borders. An excellent choice for home gardens. A variety from the USA.

85 days. Hypericum perforatum. Perennial. Open Pollinated. St John's Wort. This shrubby plant produces good yields of green leaves with bright yellow flowers. It is a hardy perennial herb known for its bright yellow flowers and traditional medicinal uses, particularly for supporting mood and nerve health. It is used as an antidepressant, sedative, and wound-healing agent. Also excellent ground cover. Easy to Grow. A variety from the Mediterranean region.

120 days. Stevia rebaudiana. Perennial. Stevia. Open Pollinated. The plant produces high yields of dark green leaves. It is used as a sweetener. Stevioside is 300 times sweeter than sugar but without calories. It can be used in place of sugar in drinks, baked goods, desserts, and preserves, and is also a plaque-retardant and tooth decay inhibitor. It is a useful sweetener for diabetics and dieters and is used to treat blood pressure problems. Suitable for containers. An excellent choice for home gardens. A variety from South America.

70 days. Satureja hortensis. Annual. Open Pollinated. Summer Savory. The plant produces good yields of peppery-flavored leaves. A fast-growing herb in the mint family, known for its peppery, spicy, thyme-like flavor with hints of oregano and lavender. Excellent for flavoring sausage, egg dishes, cabbage, sauerkraut, beans, peas, and lentil dishes. A peppery flavor to add to dressings and sauces. It is often called the bean herb. Also used to make tea for sore throats, asthma, the common cold, and a persistent cough. It is often used as a remedy for stings, insect bites, and skin irritations. It has an added benefit as it repels insects. An excellent choice for home gardens. A variety from the USA.

90 days. Origanum majorana. Perennial. Open Pollinated. Sweet Marjoram Seeds. The plant produces good yields of very flavorful Marjoram leaves. This herb has an Oregano-like flavor. Used in meats, stews, casseroles, poultry, sausages, and sauces. The flowers are used to garnish salads, soups, stews, sauces, and stuffing. It can be used dried or fresh. Also known as Knotted Marjoram. Suitable for containers. An excellent choice for home gardens. United States Department of Agriculture, NSL 6410. variety from the Mediterranean region.

59 days. Ocimum basilicum. Annual. Open Pollinated. Sweet Thai Basil. The plant produces very aromatic, spicy, anise-clove-scented basil leaves. It is a popular Southeast Asian basil variety known for its spicy, anise/clove flavor. It has a distinctive sweet, spicy, anise-licorice, and clove-like aroma and taste, stronger and more pungent than common Italian sweet basil. Used in many Thai, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian dishes. Also known as Horapha in Thailand and Hun Que in Vietnam. Suitable for containers. An excellent choice for home gardens. A variety from Asia.