Many herbs can indeed grow in the shade. At least some are better than others. This is because we grow most of those herbs for their foliage rather than their flowers. If it was the latter, full sun would always be required.
That’s great news for those of us with shady gardens often blocked by the urban jungle.
However, the light requirements have to be balanced in the long run. Otherwise, the resulting herbs will be weak and leggy and may fail to develop strong flavors.
Therefore, to set up your herb garden for success, you need to do two things correctly; first, our location should receive at least a few hours of sunlight (partial shade) and select herbs that can grow in that location.
In today’s post, I’ll share some of the most aromatic herbs you can grow in the shade and my all-time favorite garden ideas for your herbs.
13 Flavory Herbs that Grow in Shade
Cilantro
Cilantro is a fast-growing, aromatic, easy-to-grow annual herb that grows best in the cooler weather of spring and fall.
These plants will do best in an area with full sun to part shade. Given these conditions, they may begin to produce flowers. If you are growing cilantro for its leaves, pinch off the flower buds when they appear.
You can either grow this herb in pots or on the ground.
Basil
Basil is an easy-growing herb for both vegetable and herb gardens. This herb has fragrant, peppery leaves and is mostly used on fresh salads, pasta sauce, or pizza.
It is a great companion plant to have in your garden as it is good at attracting beneficial insects for other plants as well as deterring harmful ones.
Thyme
Thyme is a wonderful herb with a pleasant, pungent, clover flavor. It’s a low-growing, hardy perennial with small fragrant leaves and a thin woody stem.
As one of the hardiest herbs, thyme can tolerate prolonged periods of shade. However, for the plant to grow and thrive it requires full sun and loves heat. For these reasons, it’s drought-friendly and doesn’t require much water.
The only drawback with thyme is that it’s problematic to plant from seeds hence cuttings are always favored.
Oregano
It is a perennial herb that’s best known for its ability to attract beneficial insects and repel harmful pests.
Similar to basil, oregano is a fairly low-maintenance herb that grows well under partial to full sun and needs watering once the soil dries up.
To start oregano from cuttings to be planted with basils, cut the stem above the node and place it in water. Leave it until the roots emerge (this takes a few weeks).
Mint
Mint plants (Mentha spp.) are very hardy perennials that can be grown indoors in containers or outdoors in the garden.
This herb thrives best in a damp, moist area with well-draining soil, but also in a spot that's in either full sun or part shade. It is an aggressive grower and therefore, doesn’t play well with other plants.
Stevia
If you’re looking for a sweet sugar alternative, the Stevia is a great alternative. It is approximated that this plant is 50 – 300 times sweeter than sugar.
The leaves contain sweet-tasting chemicals known as steviol glycosides, which can be used fresh or dried to sweeten beverages. While it can be challenging to grow stevia, it’s very flexible when it comes to light requirements.
Common Sage
Salvia officinalis, the common sage or sage, is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, silvery green to grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers.
While this herb can grow in part shade, it’s intolerant to wet or poorly drained soil.
Garlic Chives
Garlic chives is an easy-to-grow, grass-like perennial herb in the same family as onion and garlic. It has a mild onion flavor that tastes great in salads or as a soup garnish.
It produces edible purple flowers with are great for attracting pollinators and adding interest to any garden.
Garden Sorrel
Also known as Rumex acetosa, Sorrel is a hardy perennial herb that is widely distributed in temperate regions and cultivated for its edible leaves.
The leaves are typically pungent and sour and derive their flavor from oxalic acid. Mature leaves are used as a flavoring in omelets and sauces and as the chief ingredient of creamed sorrel soup. The young leaves are used in salads and as a garnish.
Chervil
Chervil is closely related to parsley and is known by many other names including garden chervil or French parsley. It’s a short-lived herb, grown as an annual, and the leaves taste milder than parsley.
It’s easy to grow from seed, indoors or outside and does best in a cool, partly shaded spot, either in the ground or in a large, deep container. It grows quickly and you can start picking the delicate young leaves in as little as nine weeks.
Rosemary
Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) is an aromatic, perennial evergreen shrub in the mint family. The plant has a grayish-green appearance. The thick, leathery leaves resemble needles, with a dark green upper surface and powdery white, hairy underside.
It’s one of the few hardiest plants to grow and can survive the harshest of conditions.
Calendula
Calendula officinalis also known as pot marigold, is an annual or short-lived perennial herb in the daisy family. The daisy-like flowers are typically bright orange or yellow but some white and bi-colored cultivars have been developed.
These plants thrive in full sun to partial shade.
Dill
Anethum graveolens, commonly called dill, is an annual that is frequently grown in herb, vegetable, and flower gardens not only for the harvest of its aromatic leaves and seeds but also for the ornamental display of its attractive foliage and flowers.
Because of its tall foliage, it’s important to protect this herb from strong winds to avoid them from being blown over.
Herbs Garden Ideas: Your Presentation Matters
Now that we’ve covered some of the herbs you can grow in the shady areas of your garden or indoors, here are my favorite ways to present them. Because what’s the point of having all those beauties if they’re tucked away from people’s eyes?
Raised beds – It’s easy to tend for raised garden beds even if you have a back problem. Besides, herbs just look great in these beds.
Containers – Almost all crops can be grown in containers. However, herbs are even better candidates since they have few growing requirements. You can grow different herbs in the same container for diversity. If you’re interested, here’s a list of herbs you can plant together in the same pot.
Along your footpath – Instead of having boring pathways in your landscape, why not plant some shade-tolerant herbs along those paths? It’s both creative and aesthetically pleasing.
Balcony – For most urban apartment dwellers, space is a luxury, and therefore, left to utilize what they have – balconies! You can grow your herbs on a sunny balcony and still get a bountiful harvest.
Conclusion
As with everything in life, you don’t have an excuse to reach your gardening goals.
Whether you have an allotment that receives plenty of sunlight throughout the day or not, you can still enjoy the fresh flavors and aromas of homegrown herbs selecting herbs that suit your conditions.
I hope this list helps you make informed decisions moving forward.