What Is the Best Mix of Herbs to Grow Together in a Pot?

Growing herbs in your kitchen keeps them close to use in cooking.


Most herbs start out as small plants. So growing them together in a pot seems like a clever idea to save space, and it works -- for a while. Herbs grown together in a pot can work if you harvest their leaves regularly for cooking, which keeps the plants small and prevents any one plant from taking over the space and squeezing out the other plants. Use a pot that is at least 12 inches in diameter, pair plants that have similar water and light needs, and prepare to snip leaves to keep your plants in bounds. A mix of herbs in one pot can be pretty and practical, but it will keep your plants small.

Mediterranean Varieties

Many culinary herbs come from the Mediterranean region and share similar needs for lots of sunlight and a relatively dry, lean soil. Rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, marjoram and lavender all fall into this group. Thyme is a tiny, creeping plant that easily can be kept in bounds in a pot, and it may be paired with a prostrate rosemary and variegated sage, which grows more slowly than all-green sage.


Basil, cilantro, tarragon and parsley also like full sun, but these species prefer more moisture in their soil than rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, marjoram and lavender. Parsley, is a biennial, living only two years. So if you plan to keep the herb pot going indefinitely, prepare for the parsley to give out early. If you have dreams of making pesto, lots of basil plants will be needed; one small basil plant in a mixed pot won't be nearly enough.


The mint family plants, which include peppermint, spearmint, catmint, flavored mints such as orange mint and lemon balm, are spreading plants. They send out runners and grow sideways. For this reason, mints don't survive long in pots. Pots prevent them from spreading out, and the original plants don't live very long. If you're determined to have mint, grow it in a long window box, where the plant will be able to spread out to the sides. Don't mix different mints in the same box because they interbreed and will produce some new and probably not as deliciously fragrant varieties.

Lemon-Scented Plants

Lemon verbena, a lemon-scented shrub from South America, grows big enough to deserve a pot all to itself, but you could plant low-growing lemon thyme as a spreading plant around a lemon verbena's base. The lemon thyme will help to keep moisture from evaporating out of the soil, which is good for the lemon verbena, and it will spread nicely and may even flow over the pot's edges.

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