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Favorite herbs for tea
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Posted by lavender_lass WA zone 4 (My Page) on Thu, Sep 3, 09 at 16:24
| What are your top 10 favorite herbs for teas? I'm planning an herb garden, with limited space, but want a nice variety.
If possible, can you also tell me which ones are okay for children? (I've heard spearmint is supposed to be better than peppermint.) I don't have children, but nieces and nephews so I'd like to know which teas they can have. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Favorite herbs for tea
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| There's a website called "Plants for a Future" that is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in learning the historical and actual uses for plants. This link takes you to the first page of their list of 625 plants which are known to have been used in making tea. From that list you just have to decide what can grow in your region and what can fit in your garden. A lot of these plants are easy to try without having to grow them in the garden, they grow wild and can be very common, and stripping a few of their leaves won't harm the plants at all. Your tea recipe can be designed not only for good taste but for it's healthful medicinal qualities as well. To help you find out which plants grow in your region the USDA has a PLANTS database at this link. The range data found at PFAF is very inaccurate, they even admit to it, so using the PLANTS data is very helpful. Good luck with your endeavor, Ray |
RE: Favorite herbs for tea
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I love to grow herbs for tea and my kids really like to drink the tea in the winter - especially when they have colds.
Here's a few I like: Lemon Balm -very nice lemon flavor - a must for me Lemon Verbena is awesome but not a perennial -have to buy each year Any mint really but my faves are:
Orange mint
Apple mint
Spearmint Anise Hyssop(agastache) leaves have a nice licorice flavor Pineapple sage is nice and a pretty plant but is also an annual There are many more of course but those are what I grow.
Chamomile is supposed to be a nice relaxing tea as is catnip Hope this gives you a few ideas. I've heard that even some of the more flavorful basils make a nice tea like the cinnamon and lemons.
Karen |
RE: Favorite herbs for tea
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| Thank you for the many possibilities. I think lemon balm and some of the mints will be what I try first. I had no idea there were so many plants you could use to make tea. |
RE: Favorite herbs for tea
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| Catnip is nice, so are mints, hyssop, yarrow, chamomile, rose hips and/or petals, violets...I basically drink my yard. |
RE: Favorite herbs for tea
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anchasta, I actually did laugh out loud. good for u though, you are probably healthier because of it!
The ones I'm growing right now are : catnip, lemon balm, peppermint,and applemint.
Next year I hope to grow chamomile successfully from seed, as it is very mild and I love the flavor and smell of the tea. Next year I hope to expand my tea herbs.
My favorite tea, by far, is jasmine. |
RE: Favorite herbs for tea
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| I love jasmine, but I don't think it will grow in my zone. What kind of jasmine is used for tea? The only jasmine I've seen is star jasmine and I'm sure that's not the right one. Chamomile, mints, rose hips and lemon balm or lemon verbena seem to be the most popular choices. Thank you all for helping out a newbie like myself :) |
RE: Favorite herbs for tea
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| lemon balm, peppermint, applemint, Chamomile, hyssop, yarrow, Lemon Verbena these are my all time favorite herbal extracts for tea. |
Here is a link that might be useful: herbal extracts
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