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The Best Herbs to Grow for Tea and Attract Butterflies

Here’s my list of what I think are some of the best herbs to grow for tea, plus you’ll have the added bonus of possibly attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden!

Why should I try to grow herbs for tea? Growing your own herbal teas is a great way to make use of your herb garden to fill in garden beds. and even fill pots to add a pop of color, fragrance, and mosquito repellent to outdoor entertainment spaces.

Growing your own herbs for tea is easy and most of these herbs are versatile with many uses in the home and kitchen making them a great addition to your home garden in general with tea being just one of the many benefits to a thriving home herb garden.

Herbs to grow in your garden for tea, then enjoy a perfect pot of tea.

The best herbs to grow for flavorful herbal teas

Mint

  • Mint is one of the best herbs for growing in your garden. This herb helps repel mosquitoes and can be used for a wide variety of applications in the home and kitchen.
  • Growing mint makes a great addition to summertime desserts and beverages with its cooling menthol effect.
  • Mint tea is a flavorful tea that can help clear sinuses and settle upset stomachs.

Lavender

  • Lavender is one of the most useful herbs you can grow in your garden. This plant has been proven to help with stress and improve sleep.
  • While often used around the house to help it smell good, it is also edible.
  • Lavender can be used to flavor lemonade or be served on its own as a soothing hot tea.
  • Also, it is a great addition to your bath products and herbal soaks as well making it very useful for growing in the garden.

Lemon balm

  • Lemon balm is great for attracting bees to your garden. It can be used as a soothing hot tea or in cooking fish and poultry dishes for a mild herby lemon flavor.
  • Growing lemon balm near or in your vegetable garden will help you get the most value for your money with this plant. It will help repel unwanted insects while it attracts valuable pollinators.

Lemongrass

  • Lemongrass is known for repelling mosquitoes but it has other great uses as well.
  • It is often used in Asian and Indian dishes, cocktails, and even desserts.
  • Lemongrass makes a great refreshing tea.
  • Grow lemongrass in pots near your door or entertainment space to get the most value from this decorative grassy herb.
  • Also, the lemongrass stems can even be used as a natural biodegradable straw option.

Echinacea

  • Otherwise known as coneflower echinacea makes a great addition to any herb or flower garden.
  • This herb makes a great immune-boosting herbal tea you can enjoy hot to help give you an advantage over the cold and flu season.
  • This flower is a perennial that takes 2 years to bloom and is best grown in a large pot or a section of your garden for perennials only to make your life easier in the garden.
  • This flower is a favorite of bees and butterflies

Chamomile

  • One of the most common herbal teas is chamomile.
  • Growing chamomile is easy and this delicate flower makes a great filler for landscaping garden beds while providing you with the perfect treat to settle in and relax with at the end of the day.
  • This plant likes partial shade making it a great option for filling in spaces that need a shade-friendly plant.
  • There are several varieties you can grow. Roman is one of the best for herbal tea uses.

Lemon Verbena

  • Makes a great addition to your landscaping with its beauty while providing you with a great refreshing herbal tea.
  • Lemon verbena can be used to season meat dishes particularly poultry and seafood that blends well with the subdue lemon flavor of lemon verbena.

Fennel

  • Fennel makes a great tea and for women that are breastfeeding this tea can help improve milk supply making it a valuable herbal tea for new mothers.
  • This herb is also useful for setting the stomach for those that are not looking for lactation benefits.

Ginger

  • A very useful herb to grow in your garden is ginger.
  • While ginger root makes a great tea it can also be used in many of your favorite dishes adding a dash of spice.
  • Ginger is commonly used in Asian dishes and stir-fries.
  • A great use for this tummy soothing root is dehydrating with a dusting of sugar for candy, perfect for pregnancy and other times of gastric distress.

Thyme

  • This herb is often overlooked for its value as a tea, but it makes a wonderful relaxing hot tea that is great for boosting the immune system.
  • Thyme has many culinary applications and can be used to help repel unwanted insects in and around your garden.

Dandelion

  • Odds are when you are thinking about growing your own teas, dandelions do not come to mind, but this everyday common weed is actually a very valuable addition to your list of herbs to grow for tea, and can be used in the kitchen as well as personal and health care applications.
  • The root of the dandelion makes a great tea and if roasted first can be a great substitute for coffee.

Other great ideas and recipes to enjoy:

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