8 Shade Loving Herbs To Try

If you have a shady spot near your kitchen, then growing some shade-loving herbs can be a great use of that space.

Growing herbs near your kitchen is a great way to ensure you use them. Otherwise, they are easily forgotten about.

So, here are eight herbs that can grow well in the shade.

Corriander

Corriander will grow in the shade. Like most plants, it prefers dappled shade to full shade, but it can still be grown in entirely shady spots.

The more shaded the spot, the smaller your crop will be. That will be a recurring feature of this list, plants need light to grow, but some require more than others.

This herb likes warmer summers and well-draining conditions, so a nice sheltered spot is a good idea.

Also, add some grit, sand or vermiculite into your potting mix to aid drainage.

Chives

I didn't grow chives for several years, and I don't know why. Adding chopped chives to most meals is a great idea, and they are one herb you will use again and again.

Chives won't flower as well in shade as they would in full sun, but they will grow there just fine.

They are tough plants, and this makes them easy to grow.

A great choice to get started with in new herb gardens.

Sorrel

Sorrel is a perennial plant that can be grown like a salad leaf if the leaves are picked young.

Alternatively, you can let the leaves mature and use them as a herb, adding them as a flavouring.

It will grow in the shade, but the best crops will be seen in full sun, as is to be expected.

Dill

Dill is an excellent plant to grow in the shade and does well even in full shade.

Again like every other plant on this list, it won't grow quite as well in full shade as it does in partial or even full sun.

Harvest the foliage whenever you need some throughout its growing season.

Parsley

Parsley is another common herb that will do just fine in the shade.

It is one of the most shade-tolerant plants on this list and will thrive in the shadiest of spots.

Harvest the leaves as they grow. Parsley is a biennial which will flower and set seed in its second year before dying off.

Mint

Mint is an easy plant to grow, in fact, that can be a problem for a lot of people. It is a little too easy to grow.

I recommend growing it in a pot like the photo above, or you will soon find it taking over your herb patch.

Mint is an excellent plant for shady spots. It will grow strong and quickly even when not in full sun.

Lemon Balm (Melissa)

Like mint above, lemon balm, or melissa, as it is also known, loves to spread and bully other plants, so it is another one to grow in pots.

This is one of the few plants on this list that does worse in full sun than in partial shade, so it is an excellent choice for shady spots.

The leaves are a valuable culinary ingredient and are used for adding just a hint of lemon to a range of dishes.

Tarragon

A staple herb that is surprisingly easy to grow.

While it does prefer full sun, it will grow well in partial shade. This is not one to grow in an entirely shady spot, however.

Pick the leaves as they grow and keep well watered in hot summers. Tarragon really doesn't like to dry out.