Celebrate National Hot Tea Month (January) – by harvesting some caffeine-free tea from your yard – or simply out of some pots of plants growing on your patio (or in your Outdoor Office!)

Don’t Like Herb Tea?

I hear this every so often. “Tried it once and didn’t like it.” Yep. Well there are many kinds of herbal tea.  For instance, if you don’t like “mint” tea – do you know if it is is it peppermint or spearmint that you are objecting to? Those two have very different flavors. There are also hybrids called apple mint, pineapple mint, water mint, and then there’s a chocolate mint hybrid that tastes minty and chocolaty at the same time. Very refreshing!

By the way, I don’t like either peppermint or spearmint tea. I prefer a  lavender tea, which is why its listed below as one of my “Fab Four.”

History of Tea

Before trade with China, the Pekoe teas were unknown in most of the world. What was then called “tea” was made from any number of plants. Now we call these early teas “herbal teas,” and the “Pekoe” teas from the herb Camellia sinensis are known as “tea.”

Sugar was also unknown until a few centuries ago, and honey was not widely available so a cup of tea was often just herbs and water. Humans have a sweet tooth though, so teas with a hint of sweetness were always best received. Most of these plants taste mildly sweet when steeped/made into tea.

Fab Four Herbal Tea Plants

Here are four tea plants that just plain taste nice and can be grown throughout the Southwest – even for people in those Upper Elevations with some snow on the ground right now (January). Mind you, if you live in those snowy areas you will have to harvest the herbs before they die back underground for the winter.

My Fab Four

Note that I am listing (mostly) groups of plants here in my Fab Four. For example, mint has more varieties than you can shake a stick at.

lavender (Lavendula species But only 4 grow well in SW), 
lemon balm (just one species - Melissa officinalis)
mint (about 800 varieties of - Mentha species)
thyme (over 200 varieties of - Thymus species)

Tea Herb Growing

Care of these herbs is relatively easy. Herbs have been cultivated for millennia, and the really fussy ones have already been killed off.

Soil. These herbs do best in well drained soil. Ideally, dig a bed that is two to four feet deep and amend the soil as needed. The soil should be about thirty percent sand to promote drainage, and about thirty percent compost for the organic matter and minerals. Your soil may already be sandy enough and not need any help there. You can also buy compost at the nursery if you don’t make your own.

Potting soil with added sand or perlite works well for all herbs if you plant to grow in containers. You can also just buy something called “cactus mix.” I do.

Sun. Herbs generally like plenty of sun. The labels in the pots may say “full sun” – fine for Michigan – but I have found that these herbs grow best with half a day of summer shade in the Low and Middle Desert.

Water. Most herbs prefer to dry out a little between watering. If the roots stay too wet, they can rot. Bone dry soil is not good and kill them, so a delicate balance is required.

Pruning. Herbs need pruning. For millennia they have been harvested. Often the harvest was right down to the nubbins. As a result, the really rampant growers are the survivors in cultivation now. Most herbs produce more flavorful compounds just as they flower. This is the ideal time to harvest (prune) and dry your herbs.

Fertilize. Herbs do not need a great deal of fertilizer. I fertilize three times a year, with half strength general fertilizer. But if you wish to harvest often, you could fertilize more often.

Harvest & Use

These herbal tea plants offer here can be used either fresh or dried. Some herbs taste better if you dry them first – but that’s a different post.

Ideally harvest fresh leaves and flowers before noon and dry or save for evening use.

More About Using Herbs

I revisit this topic in “Iced Tea Month” with seven more easy to grow herbs for tea.

I also invite you to visit another site I write for – Savor the Southwest (.net).  It’s where I, and a number of other local people, share how to use the products of the Southwest.  We celebrated National Hot TeaMonth over there too!

More About Growing Herbs

May I recommend my book?  The Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Guide offers not just growing guides but some of the latest varieties – including ones specifically for raised bed and container growing. Price is what you would pay on Amazon – only when you buy from me you get a signed copy!

From the review:

“In this updated 2nd edition of Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening, you’ll find much-needed advice and practical tips on growing an edible garden, no matter which part of the southwestern US you call home.

Profits from the sale of this book go to the Arizona-based Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.

A few all NEW copies left!

The last few copies of this out-of-print award winning Southwestern book are now for sale. Father Kino’s Herbs: Growing and Using Them Today   The review says:

“Award-winning garden writer Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule has pulled together a fascinating book on the life of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino and some of the plants that he brought to Southern Arizona and northwestern Sonora, and area called the Pimeria Alta.”

This link is to our sales site. The profits from the sale go to the local Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.  We hope you will help support this great Southwest non-profit!

Legal Notes

© Article copyright Jacqueline A. Soule // Gardening With Soule. All rights reserved. You must ask permission to republish an entire blog post or article. Okay to use a short excerpt but you must give proper credit. You must include a link back to the original post on our site. No stealing photos.

Disclaimer

The authors of this website have researched the edibility of the materials we discuss, however, humans vary in their ability to tolerate different foods, drinks, and herbs. Individuals consuming flowers, plants, animals or derivatives mentioned in this blog do so entirely at their own risk. The authors on this site cannot be held responsible for any adverse reaction. In case of doubt please consult your medical practitioner.