HERBS Herbs are any plants used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs as referring to the leafy green parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), from a "spice", a product from another part of the plant (usually dried), including seeds, berries, bark, roots and fruits. Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary, medicinal, and in some cases spiritual usage. Culinary herbs are distinguished from vegetables in that, like spices, they are used in small amounts and provide flavor rather than substance to food. Herbs can be perennials such as thyme or lavender, biennials such as parsley, or annuals like basil. Perennial herbs can be shrubs such as rosemary this contrasts with botanical herbs, which by definition cannot be woody plants. Some plants are used as both herbs and spices, such as dill weed and dill seed or coriander leaves and seeds. Also, there are some herbs such as those in the mint family that are used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. There are some herbs which are listed on the Canadian grade tables and they are included here.
Amaranth, Chinese Amaranthus gangeticus L. (A. tricolor L.) Amaranthaceae Anise Pimpinella anisum L. (Anisum vulgare Gaertn.) Apiaceae
Arugula (Rocket Salad or Garden Rocket) Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. subsp. sativa (Mill.) Thell. Brassicaceae Basil Ocimum basilicum L. Lamiaceae
Caraway Carum carvi L. Apiaceae Catnip Nepeta cataria L. Lamiaceae
Chervil Anthriscus cerefolium (L.) Hoffm. Apiaceae Chives Allium schoenoprasum L. Amaryllidaceae
Claytonia (Minors Lettuce, Winter Purslane) Claytonia perfoliata Donn ex Willd. Montiaceae Coriander (Cilantro or Chinese Parsley) Coriandrum sativum L. Apiaceae
Corn Salad Valerianella locusta (L.) Laterr. Caprifoliaceae Cress, Upland Barbarea vulgaris W. T. Aiton Brassicaceae
Cress, Water Nasturtium officinale W. T. Aiton Brassicaceae Cross, Water Ipomoea aquatic Forssk. Convolvulaceae
Cumin Cuminum cyminum L. Apiaceae Dandelion Taraxacum officinale F. H. Wigg. aggr. Asteraceae
Dill Anethum graveolens L. Apiaceae Fennel, Florence Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Apiaceae
Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum L. Fabaceae Garlic Chives (Chinese Chives) Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng. Amaryllidaceae
Golden Purslane (Summer/Garden Purslane) Portulaca oleracea L. subsp. sativa (Haw.) Schübl. & G. Martens (Portulaca sativa Haw.) Portulacaceae Lavender Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Lamiaceae
Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis L. Lamiaceae Lemon Dragonhead (Moldavain Balm/Dragonhead) Dracocephalum moldavica L. Lamiaceae
Lovage Levisticum officinale W. D. J. Koch Apiaceae Marjoram, Sweet Origanum majorana L. Lamiaceae
Matricaria chamomilla L. Chamomile Asteraceae Mintina (Wormseed) Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants Chenopodiaceae
Oregano Origanum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare Lamiaceae Parsley Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss Apiaceae
Peppergrass Garden Cress Lepidium sativum L. Brassicaceae Peppermint Mentha x piperita L. Lamiaceae Spearmint Mentha spicata L. Lamiaceae (Spearmint picture)
Potato Solanum tuberosum L. Solanaceae Seed within fruits Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis L. Lamiaceae
Sage Salvia officinalis L. Lamiaceae Stevia Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni Asteraceae
Sainfoin Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. Fabaceae
Salad Burnett Sanguisorba minor Scop. Rosaceae Salsify Tragopogon porrifolius L. Asteraceae
Savory, Summer Satureja hortensis L. Lamiaceae Sesame Sesamum indicum L. Pedaliaceae
Soapwort Saponaria officinalis L. Caryophyllaceae Strawberry Fragaria spp. Rosaceae
Tarragon (French or Russian) Artemisia dracunculus L. Asteraceae Thyme Thymus vulgaris L. Lamiaceae
Valerian Valeriana officinalis L. Caprifoliaceae Vervain/Verbena Verbena officinalis L. Verbenaceae
Water Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis L. Lamiaceae Yarrow Achillea millefolium L. Asteraceae