Herbs for shade
The Mediterranean herbs want sun and the soft-leaved ones tolerate shade, so this list splits the herb catalogue along a line that matters.
How this list was built
Generated from the catalogue by the same engine that powers What can I grow? — 14 of the 33 herbs qualify. It is published because it names a question people ask, returns enough plants to be useful, does not return most of the group it is about, and rests on fields that are actually populated. Lists that fail any of those are on the coverage page instead.
| Plant | Type | Light | Spacing | Min. pot depth | In a container |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChervilAnthriscus cerefolium | HerbSome care needed | Partial shade, Dappled shade | 20–25 cm | 20 cm | well suited |
| MintMentha | HerbStraightforward | Partial shade, Full sun, Dappled shade | 30–45 cm | 20 cm | well suited |
| SorrelRumex acetosa | HerbStraightforward | Partial shade, Full sun, Dappled shade | 30–38 cm | 25 cm | well suited |
| Vietnamese corianderPersicaria odorata | HerbSome care needed | Partial shade, Full sun | 30–40 cm | 20 cm | well suited |
| BayLaurus nobilis | HerbStraightforward | Full sun, Partial shade | 150–300 cm | 35 cm | well suited |
| BorageBorago officinalis | HerbStraightforward | Full sun, Partial shade | 45–60 cm | 30 cm | workable |
| ChivesAllium schoenoprasum | HerbStraightforward | Full sun, Partial shade | 20–30 cm | 15 cm | well suited |
| CorianderCoriandrum sativum | HerbSome care needed | Full sun, Partial shade | 15–20 cm | 20 cm | well suited |
| Garlic chivesAllium tuberosum | HerbStraightforward | Full sun, Partial shade | 20–30 cm | 20 cm | well suited |
| Lemon balmMelissa officinalis | HerbStraightforward | Full sun, Partial shade, Dappled shade | 45–60 cm | 25 cm | well suited |
| LovageLevisticum officinale | HerbStraightforward | Full sun, Partial shade | 60–90 cm | 60 cm | marginal |
| ParsleyPetroselinum crispum | HerbSome care needed | Full sun, Partial shade | 20–25 cm | 25 cm | well suited |
| Salad burnetSanguisorba minor | HerbStraightforward | Full sun, Partial shade | 30–40 cm | 25 cm | well suited |
| ShisoPerilla frutescens | HerbSome care needed | Full sun, Partial shade | 30–40 cm | 25 cm | well suited |
This is one cut through the herbs, which compares every one of them on foliage, size and container suitability — including the ones this list rules out, and why.