Growing a garden is a rewarding and functional hobby, especially since it can produce many essential ingredients for your everyday cooking needs. And while you’re out there growing fruits and veggies, don’t forget to plant your favorite herbs as well. You could even take your gardening skills to the next level and create a dedicted herb garden. Now, gardening requires a good deal of effort, but you can make the task a little bit easier by having plants that pop back up every year without you replanting them. It’s easy to have your cooking essentials like oregano, thyme, and a range of other useful herbs year after year; plant them once, and they’ll keep returning to your garden each growing season.

So, why do some herbs grow back while others don’t? They are perennials — plants that take multiple years to complete their lifecycle. While not every single herb will last decades, in optimal temperatures, perennial herbs can regrow for several years. In warmer climates, some of these herbs can stay evergreen, keeping their foliage year round. These types of herbs are typically easy to handle, needing little more than proper soil and adequate lighting and watering. Besides being great kitchen staples, some of the perennial herbs in our lineup also keep away pests, attract pollinators, provide a nesting place for birds, and offer a food source for beneficial wildlife. 

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a fragrant garden herb that’s known to repel mosquitoes. With a piney scent, many people grow this plant because it pairs well with stews and braised meats. Hardy in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 10, these perennials need porous soil and ample sunlight to thrive — which they’ll do for decades if the growing conditions are met. Your rosemary plant can take a few ways to become mature and ready for harvesting. Once you do harvest it, you can use it for more than just cooking — go ahead and add it to sachets, too.

A pretty flower shrub to have in your flower bed, lavender (Lavandula sp.) is also a great herb to add to your edible garden. With a hardiness range of 5 through 11, this plant can come back year after year in many parts of the nation. It’s an easy-to-grow herb; just give your lavender plant plenty of sunshine and well-drained soil and it will be happy. There are a ton of benefits of growing lavender in your backyard herb garden; it adds visual interest, attracts pollinators, and is versatile in culinary use.

Spice up your meals by adding the leaves from a curry leaf plant (Murraya koenigii) from your edible garden. Very similar to the bay leaf, this herb is a great addition to stews, curries, and soups. Perennial in USDA hardiness zones 10 to 12, this plant does best in warmer regions, with full sun and a moist but well-draining growing medium. You can also grow it as an ornamental houseplant in colder environments. However, if you grow this herb indoors, watch out for overwatering and pests like mealybugs. 

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is a flavorsome herb that’ll grow well in shady areas of your garden. There are three main kinds of tarragon — Mexican, Russian, and French. Russian is the hardiest of the three, but generally, all species are hardy in zones 3 through 8. Dry, permeable soil and full sun are necessary for this herb to thrive. An essential herb in French cuisine, this plant has a taste that is similar to sweet anise and pairs well with butter, salad, and fish. 

Mint (Mentha spp.) is a common perennial plant to have in a herb garden because it works so well in many dishes and drinks. It comes in a number of species, including popular ones like peppermint and spearmint. This herb is hardy in zones 4 through 9, depending on the species. It’s low maintenance and grows so aggressively that some consider it a weed. If you worry about mint overrunning your garden, grow it in pots instead. And if you’re having trouble keeping this plant alive, learn how to revive your garden mint with one beneficial soil tip.

With a distinct lemony aroma, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a beautiful and fragrant perennial to add to your garden. Perennial in hardiness zone 5 to 9, this plant doesn’t need too much sun, making it a great option for partially shaded spots. You need to keep the soil moist for this herb if you want it to thrive. If you hate spiders, lemon balm is the plant to grow to keep them out. That said, like mint, lemon balm spreads quickly; keep its growth in check by removing blooms before they go to seed.

With a column of small pink, white, or purple flowers, thyme (Thymus vulgaris) makes a beautiful addition to your garden and is a useful kitchen herb. While these perennial plants are hardy in zones of 5 through 9, they should be put in a spot with plenty of sun and well-drained, alkaline-to-neutral soil. The scent of these plants also naturally repels deer and rabbits, keeping your edible garden safe from hungry wildlife. Before planting this herb, review these tips and tricks for growing the best thyme in your garden.

You won’t want to miss out on growing oregano (Origanum vulgare) — this fragrant kitchen staple returns yearly, making your wallet happy. Perennial in zones 4 to 10, this hardy plant is easy to grow but needs plenty of sunshine and permeable soil to thrive. This plant works great in many popular Mediterranean and Italian dishes. Not only an essential kitchen herb, oregano also attracts beneficial insects to your garden while naturally repelling pests like mosquitoes. 

Keep your kitchen stocked with a close relative of oregano, sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana), by planting it in your perennial herb garden. To keep this herb coming back year after year in the garden, you’ll have to grow it in zones 9 or 10. Note that sweet marjoram is an aggressive grower; deter it from overrunning your garden by planting it in a pot. While the herb doesn’t have many pest problems, it is toxic to common household pets, like cats and dogs. Similar in taste to oregano, this herb is a little bit sweeter and tastes good on pizza and meat dishes.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are an easy-to-grow herb that tolerates heat and lasts all summer long. This plant grows as a perennial in hardiness zones 3 through 9 and requires moist, properly draining soil and sufficient sunlight to flourish. These plants have beautiful purple and pink flower heads, which are also edible. That said, chives can overrun your edible garden, so clip the blooms before they go to seed to control their growth. Dividing the clumps every couple of years also helps rein in unwanted spread. Planted as a companion plant in many gardens, chives repel many pests, like snails and slugs.

As an herb that goes well with various meat dishes, sage (Salvia officinalis) is an excellent perennial to add to a garden. If you give this green-leafed plant ample amounts of sunshine and grow it in well-drained soil in zones 4 through 10, it can be quite easy to care for. Sage shrubs have small purple flowers that grow in an upright position. There are many genius ways to use sage around your home and garden, including cooking, attracting pollinators, and smudging — a way to cleanse the negative energy of your home. 

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a great plant to grow if you want a herb that returns year after year. Growing up to 5 feet, it’s perennial in zones 4 to 8 and needs rich, moist soil and a location with full sun to part shade. Hailing from the same family as celery, this herb has a similar taste and works great in soups and stews. Its root can also be used in teas. 

There are more than just one kind of chive. Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are used in numerous Chinese and Japanese dishes, giving foods an extra zing of garlic with every bite. These herbs are grown as perennials in zones 3 to 9. They prefer rich, permeable soil with full sunlight. These chives also have cute, white flowers, which look great in bouquets. Since these plants self-seed (like many other herbs), you can expect them to spread around your garden unless you deadhead the blooms before they go to seed.

Take your herb garden to the next level by growing red sorrel (Rumex acetosa), a plant that will come back for years to come. This leafy green plant can grow up to 18 inches tall. It’s perennial in zones 4 to 8, and you don’t have to worry about it much because this herb is pretty low maintenance. It will grow happily in full sun or partial shade and prefers sandy soil. Sorrel has a tart, lemony flavor that works well in soups and salads.

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) is a hardy perennial you should grow for year-round harvests. Generally considered a herb and commonly used in stews and soups, it is actually a tree. Besides cooking, bay laurel can be used in medicinal applications and for decor. Hardy in zones 8 through 11, your bay laurel plant will thrive in slightly acidic, porous soil and with plenty of sun. It’s a robust plant, and you can place it around your garden to shield it from strong winds. Bay laurel can also help improve your garden’s ecosystem by attracting pollinators and beneficial insects.

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a great perennial herb to add to your garden. While it’s part of the mint family, anise hyssop smells more like anise or licorice. It has tall, beautiful purple flowers that add a stunning visual element to your herb garden. Hardy in zones 4 through 8, this plant thrives in well-draining soil in full sun or partial shade. Its beautiful blossoms attract many pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds. Anise hyssop is pest and deer-resistant, making it a great addition to any garden. 

Don’t forget to add winter savory (Satureja montana) to your perennial herb garden. Not as common as the other herbs on the list, this plant has been used for thousands of years. With a hardiness range of zones 5 through 8, this herb is pretty low maintenance, needing little besides direct sunlight, occasional watering, and loamy soil. Discover new flavors by using this plant to make Herbes de Provence, a dried French seasoning that includes winter savory as its main ingredient. It’s also a great companion plant for beans.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) is originally from South America, so it prefers warmer climates and is perennial in zones 8 to 11. If you want it to flourish in your garden, you’ll need to plant it in nutrient-rich and well-draining loam in a location that gets full sun. This herb works well in many sweet and savory dishes and can even be mixed with other fragrant herbs like lavender to create an interesting flavor. It’s also used in potpourri, cosmetics, and liqueurs. 

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) isn’t very hardy compared to other herbs on our list — it’s only perennial in zones 10 and 11. Knowing how to care for your lemongrass plant is very important. Lemongrass needs direct sunlight, so place it in a sunny spot in your garden with well-drained soil. With proper care, your lemongrass plant can shoot up to 4 feet. In cooking, lemongrass adds a citrusy taste and is used many Asian dishes. Having this herb in your garden also can repel pests like mosquitoes.

Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) is a great perennial herb to plant in your edible garden. All parts of this delicate herb can be consumed, including the flowers. It can even work as a healthy sugar alternative. While it’s not a household name, this herb is the perfect substitute to anise, working well in jellies and jams. It’s hardy in zones 3 to 7 and prefers to be in a sunny or partially shaded spot with moist soil. These plants can spread aggressively through self-seeding, so you’ll want to remove spent blooms to control its growth.