What herbs can I bring inside for the winter
Isabella Turner
Updated on April 20, 2026
“Easy herbs to grow inside are basil, chives, parsley, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, cilantro and bay,” she said. “If you bring lemon verbena inside for the winter, it will drop its leaves. But just cut it back hard and in a month it will look good again.
Which herbs can be brought inside for winter?
“Easy herbs to grow inside are basil, chives, parsley, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, cilantro and bay,” she said. “If you bring lemon verbena inside for the winter, it will drop its leaves. But just cut it back hard and in a month it will look good again.
Should herbs be brought inside for winter?
For long term indoor storage, a cool bedroom or dining room is better for the plant than your moist kitchen. Most herbs will stay dormant in a cool room making them much easier to care for. Return the herbs to a sunny, warm room late next winter to bring the plant out of dormancy and ready for another season.
Can you bring potted herbs inside for the winter?
Potted Herbs Herbs planted in pots outdoors can be brought inside for the winter with a simple adjustment period. Bring pots inside before the first frost, and keep an eye on the current temperatures in your region.What herbs can you keep indoors?
Most herbs can be grown indoors, but those that tend to really thrive inside include no-fuss picks like basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme. You can start herbs from seed or cuttings, which is a branch of an existing plant cut at the node and soaked in water until new roots sprout.
Can you bring rosemary inside winter?
If you live in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 or below, rosemary will only survive if you bring it indoors before the arrival of freezing temperatures. … However, there are exceptions, as a few newer rosemary cultivars have been bred to survive temperatures as low as USDA zone 6 with ample winter protection.
How do you keep herbs alive in the winter?
- Protect herbs from the cold by placing them in a cold frame or cloche. …
- Add a thick layer of coarse mulch over herbs. …
- Pot up herbs and move them into a frost-free greenhouse or sun porch. …
- Grow herbs in front of a sunny window.
Can I bring my parsley plant indoors for the winter?
You can enjoy tender perennial herbs such as rosemary, and biennial herbs such as parsley, all winter long by potting them up and bringing them indoors for the winter. … You should be able to harvest fresh parsley leaves all fall, and if the plant gets enough light, it will even produce new growth.Can I bring my basil plant inside for the winter?
If you already have a favorite basil plant that produces lots of tasty leaves, there’s no reason why you can’t keep enjoying it indoors throughout the fall and winter. Placed in a cozy spot on a sunny windowsill, it will thrive throughout the cold months.
Do herbs survive outside in winter?Tender outdoor herbs Herbs like bay, sage and thyme are hardy enough to survive the winter outside, but will not grow. … Most perennial and biennial herbs will keep growing under protection of cloches or a coldframe. You can also keep these plants outside in a sheltered spot, and just protect from cold spells.
Article first time published onDo chives survive winter?
Although all chives will eventually die down over winter, they will last a little longer than those left outside at the mercy of the colder conditions. When the plants do die down, later in winter, remove all dead material, and water occasionally throughout the winter.
What is the easiest herb to grow indoors?
Basil, oregano, mint, chives, sage, rosemary, and thyme are the easiest herbs to grow indoors, whether you have them in the garden already or wish to plant them now.
How do you keep herbs alive indoors?
Most herbs need a warmth in order to grow. Keep them in rooms that are at least 65-75°F during the day, and no less than 55-60°F at night. Even though many herbs can survive at lower temperatures, they are unlikely to produce much growth under those conditions.
Can you grow herbs all year round indoors?
Many cooks grow herbs indoors during the winter when it’s too cold outside or too wet to dig in the dirt, but you can grow herbs inside any time of year. Indoor herbs prefer the same temperatures that most people do—around 65 to 70 degrees F—so if you’re comfortable, they probably are.
What herbs will come back every year?
- Sage.
- Rosemary.
- Parsley.
- Thyme.
- Mint.
- Bay.
- Chives.
- Lavender.
Can you start a herb garden in winter?
To grow herbs in winter, choose a truly sunny window (southern exposure) that gets at least six hours of sun per day. Because that can be a hard requirement to fulfill, many gardeners prefer to use grow lights instead or in addition to window light.
Can thyme survive winter?
Most selections of thyme (Thymus sp.) are hardy to USDA Zones 5 to 9 and marginally hardy to Zone 4 with added winter protection. In areas with cold winters, thyme is considered semi-evergreen, meaning that the plant will retain some of its foliage during winter but not all.
How cold can parsley survive?
Hardy only to about 10 degrees F, though winter mulches or cloches can enhance cold tolerance. Where winters are mild, parsley can be sown in fall and grown through winter.
Can Mint survive winter?
Although slightly frost tolerant, the top of mint will eventually die back in winter except in zones 8 and south, but the root are quite hardy, surviving into zone 5 (some varieties even into zone 3). Lift and replant your mint every 3 to 4 years to keep your patch’s flavor and scent strong.
Can cilantro survive winter?
Cilantro is surprisingly cold hardy, so it also makes an ideal fall garden item. Fall-planted cilantro remains leafy rather than stretching up to bloom, because in fall and winter the days are shorter. Plants will over-winter in zone 7b and warmer. In cold climates, they will be fine in a cold frame.
Will parsley grow back after winter?
Parsley is a biennial, not a perennial. What that means is that it grows into a plant one season, and after winter’s cold temperatures, it blooms, sets seeds, and dies. The better idea may be to replant in spring, letting it grow all summer and winter.
How do you keep parsley alive indoors?
Indoor parsley care is easy. Keep the soil lightly moist and empty the saucer under the pot after every watering so that the roots don’t sit in water. Feed the plants every two weeks with fish emulsion or half-strength liquid fertilizer. You can grow other herbs in the container with parsley, if desired.
What is too cold for herbs?
Keep herbs in rooms that have at least a 65 to 70°F day and 55 to 60°F night temperature regimes. Although most herbs can survive temperatures that are in the mid to low 40s, others cannot; for example, basil (Ocimum basilicum) cannot survive temperatures lower than 50°F.
How do you store rosemary for the winter?
Use rocks or a wall to reflect heat in winter and help keep your rosemary warm as temperatures drop. You can also add some gravel mulch, as long as it doesn’t enclose the plant and retain water. Use a container for rosemary and move the container to a protected, warm location (even though it’s still outdoors).
Does rosemary grow back after winter?
You can do light pruning and harvesting any time of year, but a rosemary plant responds best to hard pruning in winter when it isn’t actively growing. When pruned in winter, the plant grows back in spring looking better than ever.
Will oregano grow back after winter?
The colder your climate, the more your plants run the risk of not surviving the winter. Some cold hardy herbs (mint, thyme, oregano, sage, and chives) are very well adapted. In areas with frost, they grow as perennials, going dormant in the winter and coming back with new growth in the spring.
Can Dill survive winter?
Dill plants are very cold-hardy and can tolerate temperatures that dip as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
What do you do with potted herbs in the winter?
Bring herbs indoors Once the temperatures settle back to more typical winter weather you can move the potted plant back to your herb bed or other location. For a more seasonal solution, dig up tender perennial herbs in fall, pot them up into containers, and then bring them indoors to spend the winter.
How long will an indoor basil plant live?
Basil may survive for two years before replanting in warm climates. An indoor basil plant with full sun and steady warm temperatures may last longer as well. Basil plants are sensitive to cold weather and frost. Before the weather turns, take steps to preserve your plant for the next year.
Can Rosemary be grown indoors?
The easiest way to grow rosemary indoors is to grow the plant in containers. If your rosemary is in containers, start acclimating the plant to the diminished light it will receive when brought indoors. Rosemary requires full sun and even the brightest window is not the same as a sunny garden.
Why are my herbs dying outside?
The most common reason for herbs dying is because of root rot due to too much moisture around the roots caused by overwatering, slow draining soils and pots without drainage holes in their base. Herbs require well draining soil and damp soil promotes root rot causing herbs to turn yellow and die back.