Would you like to grow something a little different this year? You can find many interesting possibilities through The Herb Society of America’s Promising Plants Program, which spotlights little-known or underused herbs.
The goal of the program is twofold: to highlight these plants so they become better known and to gather information on how to grow them.
Samples of the plants are given to HSA members who volunteer to try them in their gardens across the country. In return, the gardener reports on the plant’s performance in his or her garden.
Profiles and photos of each plant are available to the public at http://HerbSociety.org/promplant/index.php. The profiles include descriptions of the leaf and flower, and often information on how to grow and use the plant. Sources for ordering the plants also are included.
The latest list includes Cumberland rosemary (Conradina verticillata), variegated horseradish (Armoracia rusticana ‘Variegata’), Greek mountain tea (Sideritis syriaca), rosemary bushmint (Poliomintha incana), almond verbena (Aloysia virgata) and rosemary ‘Capercaillie’, a creeping type from England.
Dozens more species from other years are archived on the site, so browse to your heart’s content. No doubt you will learn about a few new plants–that’s a promise!
