13 Best Herbs to Grow Indoors for Tea
Did you know you can grow your own tea…and you can do it indoors all year round? This list includes some of the easiest and most beneficial herbs to grow.
Certain flowers and herbs can thrive in pots, don’t grow too large, and can be kept on an end table or windowsill for you to enjoy fresh tea from the comfort of your own home.
This is your guide to growing some of the tastiest, most beneficial and easiest herbs to grow for tea.
How to Grow Your Own Herbs for Tea Indoors:
One of the best things about growing tea indoors is that it can be planted and enjoyed year round. All you will need to get started are your seeds or starter plants of choice, various sized pots, and a good quality universal potting soil. Before you know it, you will be harvesting your own flowers, and herbs for fresh and nutrient dense tea.
1. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Chamomile makes a super tasty and beneficial tea, so why not grow it year round indoors? The only part of the plant that is used for tea are the flower heads. Simply pluck the flowers whole when you’re ready for tea, or harvest and dry for later use. Great for a delicious and calming tea before bed. The flowers grow about 2’ tall and are easy to start from seed.
Chamomile has also been used to aid in digestion, for motion sickness, nausea, and as a treatment for colic, croup and fevers in children.
- Plant height: 18-24 inches tall and wide
- Sun Needs: Only 4 hours per day, south-facing window in winter
- Watering: Basil The soil should be kept moist, but not overly wet. Water about once per week.
2. Mint (Mentha)
Mint makes an incredibly flavorful and tasty tea. It’s best when you’ve got an upset stomach, and aids in digestion. It may also be helpful for nasal congestion, boosting energy levels, and it’s caffeine free. It’s also super easy to grow! While you can sow from seed, the easiest way to plant mint is with a starter plant from a garden center. When the plant over 3 inches tall, you can begin harvesting for tea, or other recipes.
Make sure to pinch off any flowers before they bloom so the plant continues to produce new buds. Enjoy fresh or dried leaves for tea.
- Plant height: 12-24 inches tall and wide, but some varieties can be larger.
- Sun Needs: A south-facing window is best. Mint needs about 12-14 hours of sun each day.
- Watering: Mint plants tend to like a lot of water. Self-watering pots can be a great option for mint. Otherwise, plant to water a few times per week.
3. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon balm tea has been used for centuries to improve sleep and help with insomnia. The tea is fresh and citrusy and has also been known to help with bloating and indigestion. Just like with mint, it’s best to pinch off new flowers that form, to encourage leaves to grow and discourage the plant from going to seed. Leaves can be harvested fresh or dried for tea.
Additionally, lemon balm tea can help reduce anxiety and symptoms of depression, improve cognitive function, mood and heart health.
- Plant height: 24-36 inches tall
- Sun Needs: Prefers full sun, especially when planted indoors.
- Watering: It’s best to err on the side of under-watering, rather than over-watering.
4. Holy Basil or Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Holy basil has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3000 years. The herb is often grown in pots indoors, and is considered a sacred and medicinal herb. It’s often recommended to be consumed daily, and makes a cooling, spicy, and earthy tea. Holy Basil has a large number of known benefits, so this is a must-have in your indoor tea garden.
It can provide calming effects, aiding in anxiety and regulating cortisol levels. It can regulate blood sugar levels, and has been known to open airways, and improve breathing. It is antibacterial and antimicrobial, reducing the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms, and aiding in healing.
- Plant height: 24 inches tall and 12-24 inches wide
- Sun Needs: Full sun
- Watering: Keep the soil moist, but not drenched.
5. Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Not just a tasty treat for your cat, this is a super easy herb to grow indoors. It can be easily pruned for compact indoor growth, and drinking catnip tea has been shown to soothe the digestive system. Pinch off before flowers form, and feel free to give the tops to your feline friend.
Catnip tea is also good for relaxation, restlessness, nervous disorders, asthma and coughs. Catnip tea can be made from the dried leaves and flowers of the plant.
- Plant height: 24-36 inches tall and wide
- Sun Needs: Full sun
- Watering: This plant is drought tolerant and can withstand periods of little water. Water every 9-14 days.
6. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
Drink on it’s own, or combine Rosemary with other herbs to make a delicious and flavorful tea. Pro tip: new plant growth is often more fragrant than older growth. Rosemary tea has a piney flavor combined with hints of lemon and mint.
Rosemary is antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory. It has also been shown to lower blood sugar and supporting brain health, improve mood, and concentration.
- Plant height: Depends on variety.
- Sun Needs: Thrives in full sun.
- Watering: Rosemary prefers dryer roots and absorbs moisture from the air. Water every two weeks, and keep pot on a drainage pan with rocks to keep the air moist.
7. Lavender (Lavandula)
The most common way to consume lavender tea is by brewing the purple flower buds. However, the stems can be used for tea as well. This tea is most recommended to be consumed in the evening, as even the smell of lavender is widely known to induce a calming effect on the body and mind. Even just having a lavender plant in your bedroom will have positive effects on your sleep quality. Of course lavender tea is caffeine free, and best consumed for calming nerves, leading to better sleep.
Additionally, Lavender tea can improve skin health, boost mood, and soothe headaches, migraines and even stomach cramps.
- Plant height: 20-24 inches tall.
- Sun Needs: Lavender thrives in full hot sun.
- Watering: Drench the plant thoroughly when watering, and allow the soil to become slightly dry between waterings.
8. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple coneflower, or echinacea is most widely used to shorten the duration of cold and flu symptoms. It’s common to see echinacea taken is supplement form to boost the immune system. This flower is known to reduce sore throat, cough and fever as well. Because Echinacea is a slightly larger flower, it’s best to grow in at least a 1 gallon pot. The larger the container, the larger the coneflower will grow. There are several varieties of coneflower, and most recommended for indoor growing is Purple Coneflower.
For tea, you can use the ENTIRE echinacea plant, even the roots. In fact, the roots hold a lot of nutrients and are highly recommended. Although, you will still get amazing benefits from the flower and leaves for tea. Purple Coneflower is also good for anxiety, depression, skinhealth, and for reducing inflammation.
- Plant height: 24-48 inches tall.
- Sun Needs: Needs at least 2-4 hours of sun per day, but up to 12 hours will be ok.
- Watering: Purple Coneflower is drought tolerant, but aim to water every 1-2 weeks.
9. Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)
Also known as sweetleaf, this is a great and unique addition to an indoor herb garden. Although If you’re looking to add some sweetness to your teas, Stevia is a great choice. Well know as a zero calorie sweetener, Stevia is 10 times sweeter than sugar. This is a great choice for an herb garden, providing a great supplemental flavor when combined with other herbs.
Just like with other herbs we’ve highlighted, Stevia will produce flower that are best to be trimmed off for sweeter-tasting leaves. Although Stevia does have antioxidant properties, most of the benefits are going to come from its ability to be used in place of sugar. Great for diabetics, and those looking for weight management options.
- Plant height: 24 inches tall and wide
- Sun Needs: Full sun.
- Watering: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry.
10. Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Sage does very well when potted indoors and grows quickly from seed. Sage makes a naturally caffeine free tea with a distinct herbal fragrance. This tea will be slightly minty, with an earthy flavor that pairs well with lemon and mint flavors. This one’s a no-brainer, Sage tea is good for an insane amount of things.
Sage tea boosts memory, fights inflammation, controls blood sugar, is anti-cancerous, good for skin and sore throats. Rich in antioxidants, sage tea may combat oxidative stress and promote overall well-being.
- Plant height: 24-36 inches tall and wide
- Sun Needs: 6-8 hours of medium to full sunlight daily.
- Watering: Water 1-2 times per week keeping the plant slightly moist.
11. Bee balm (Monarda)
Bee Balm has a citrusy and minty taste. It’s great for digestion, and good for upper respiratory colds. While most commonly grown outdoors in the summer months, Bee balm can grow successfully indoors as well. This flower is relatively low fuss, and easy to care for. Not to mention the flowers are absolutely stunning! Both the flowers and leaves can be used for tea, and the flowers make a beautiful citrusy, minty, and colorful tea.
Bee Balm has been used for centuries for calm nerves, aid in digestions, and for cold and flu symptoms. It’s also rich in antioxidants, fighting oxidative stress in the body.
- Plant height: 2-4 feet tall depending on the variety
- Sun Needs: Full sun.
- Watering: Water as needed. Bee Balm prefers to stay moist vs. drying out.
12. Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
You will often see Chicory plants thriving in areas with poor soil like ditches and abandoned fields. Obviously this translates to growing indoors, making this plant one of the easiest to care for on our list. The roots of this plant are what is harvested for tea, so ideally you would pot this plant in loose soil. Chicory root has similar flavors to coffee, making this a great option as a substitute.
Chicory root promotes healthy gut bacteria, it’s full of antioxidants, it’s anti-cancerous, and anti-inflammatory. You might want to play the long game with this plant, as the roots are at their most abundant after the plant is a few years old. If you are impatient however, you can harvest at any point.
- Plant height: 3-5 feet tall.
- Sun Needs: At least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
- Watering: Water once per week.
13. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
In recent years, valerian has become increasingly popular for its relaxation benefits, and effectiveness as treating insomnia. This plant is very easy to grown at home, and like chicory, it thrives in various growing conditions. Also, like chicory, the roots of the valerian plant are where you will find its benefits. The taste of the tea may not be the most appealing and is best when mixed with other flavors like ginger or lemon.
As I mentioned earlier, Valerian is best known and has been used for centuries for its mild sedative effects. This makes valerian best when consumed during times of stress, and in the evenings to promote restful sleep.
- Plant height: 3-5 feet tall.
- Sun Needs: Full sun.
- Watering: This is a drought tolerant plant, and does not need much water. Water every 1-2 weeks.
Growing your own tea indoors can be extremely rewarding. This is just a shortlist of all the many herbs, and flowers you can grow both indoors and outdoors for tea. Most of these herbs are also great to have on hand for cooking and baking as well. If you have other herbs you love to grow at home, please leave a comment below!
