Herbs for Zone 2
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Tom Schneider
Posted on: March 22, 1999

My sister lives in Matheson, Ontario, and loves to garden. Your catalogue doesn’t give the zones. Could I get a list of Zone 2 perennial herbs? I’d like to get her some for a gift.

The best source of zone information for herbs is Deni Bown’s book "Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses" which is available from Richters. She lists hundreds of common and rare herbs and their hardiness zone ranges.

There are very few herbs that are hardy in zone 2. Certainly, common perennial herbs such as thyme, sage, oregano, lavender and many others will not survive. But, that does not mean you cannot grow these herbs! Most of these can be grown essentially as if there are summer annuals -- for one season and then replanted the following spring. Thinking in this way, you can expand your possibilities well beyond the limited range of zone 2 hardy herbs.

Some herbs require more than one season to reach maturity and unless they are hardy in zone 2, there is not much point to growing them. Examples are lavender (except possibly Lady lavender which flowers in one season), echinacea, valerian, goldenseal, ginseng, and others.

If you are looking for a collection of herbs to give your sister you could give her basil, chives, parsley, oregano, sage, french tarragon, and english thyme.

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