When it's green and blooming on the balcony, it's not always grandiose perennials or lavish flowers that show off here. A variety of aromatic herbs thrive beautifully and decoratively in boxes, pots and hanging baskets. You can find out which types of herbs are perfect for balcony plants here.
Which herbs are suitable as balcony plants?
The best balcony plants include curly parsley, basil 'Genovese', cascade thyme, chives garlic, pizza oregano, rosemary 'Weihenstephan', spice sage, dwarf hyssop, French tarragon and lemony savory. These herbs grow well in sunny balcony boxes or pots and give your balcony a fragrant aroma.
Top 10 balcony herbs – delicious and decorative at the same time
Urban Gardening simply moves the kitchen garden onto the balcony. Because vegetables only get the right flavor through herbs, the following species and varieties round off the cultivation plan:
| Top 10 balcony herbs | botanical name | Growth height | Bloom | Flowering time | special feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curly parsley | Petroselinum crispum var. crispum | 15 to 20 cm | greenish-white | June to July | pretty ruffled leaves |
| Basil ‘Genovese’ | Ocimum x basilicum | 20 to 30 cm | white | August to October | not hardy |
| Cascade thyme | Thymus longicaulis ssp. odoratus | 10 to 15 cm | pink | June to July | balsamic-spicy aroma |
| Cut Garlic | Allium tuberosum | 10 to 50 cm | white umbels | August and September | provides garlic flavor without side effects |
| Pizza Oregano | Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum | 30 to 50 cm | white | July to September | hardy and wintergreen |
| Rosemary 'Weihenstephan' | Rosmarinus officinalis | 50 to 100 cm | light blue | April to June | conditionally hardy, nice in the pot |
| Spice Sage | Salvia officinalis | 40 to 60 cm | violetblue | July and August | Bee and butterfly pasture |
| Dwarf Hyssop | Hyssopus officinalis ssp. aristatus | 20 to 30 cm | deep blue | July and August | ideal for the south-facing balcony |
| French Tarragon | Artemisia dracunculus var. sativus | 40 to 70 cm | yellow | June and July | Mediterranean gourmet herb |
| Lemon Savory | Satureja montana var. citriodora | 20 to 30 cm | white-pink | August and September | refreshing herbal enjoyment |
Herbal plants for the balcony are mostly sun worshipers. The aroma artists achieve their optimum in a warm, sunny location and exude a seductive scent. The frugal plants prefer to stretch out their roots in lean herbal soil. Conventional, mineral-preferred potting soil (€6.00 at Amazon) is not recommended for cultivating balcony herbs.
Tip
You can easily make a rustic flower box for your herbs yourself from Euro pallets. Suitable wooden pallets can be purchased used or new for little money from transport companies or in stores. The resulting plant compartments are exactly the right size to provide Parsley and colleagues with the ideal conditions.
