The Best Herbs to Grow Indoors During Winter
Growing herbs indoors during winter sounds wonderful.
Fresh herbs for cooking.
Mint for tea.
Rosemary for roasted vegetables.
Chives whenever you want them.
A little green growing in the kitchen while the garden outside is covered in snow.
But there's one important thing to know before you start carrying pots into the house:
Some herbs are much easier to grow indoors than others.
An herb that thrives outside in July may struggle inside in January.
Winter brings shorter days, weaker natural light, dry heated air, cooler windows, and completely different watering needs.
Choosing the right herbs can make the difference between a windowsill full of fresh herbs and a windowsill full of increasingly sad sticks.
Here are some of the best herbs to grow indoors during winter—and what each one needs.
Can You Grow Herbs Indoors All Winter?
Yes.
Many herbs can grow indoors throughout winter if you provide appropriate:
- Light
- Temperature
- Water
- Drainage
- Airflow
- Growing space
But there's a difference between surviving indoors and actively producing enough growth to harvest.
If you want fresh herbs throughout winter, light becomes particularly important.
That's why choosing herbs based on the conditions you can provide is better than simply bringing your entire herb garden inside.
1. Chives
If you're new to indoor herb gardening, chives are a great place to start.
Chives are perennial and naturally adapted to seasonal changes.
You can grow chives indoors from:
Existing container plants
Divisions from established plants
Seed
Established chives can also be allowed to experience dormancy and later encouraged to produce fresh growth indoors.
Light for Indoor Chives
Give chives a bright location.
A sunny window may work, particularly if it receives substantial direct light.
If growth becomes thin, pale, or floppy, supplemental lighting can help.
Watering Chives Indoors
Keep the growing medium appropriately moist without leaving it constantly saturated.
Containers need drainage holes.
Harvesting Indoor Chives
Once the plant is actively growing, harvest leaves as needed.
Avoid repeatedly removing nearly all the foliage from a small indoor plant.
Give it enough leaves to continue supporting healthy growth.
Beginner difficulty: Easy
2. Mint
Mint is another good candidate for an indoor winter herb garden.
It's vigorous, useful, and generally responds well to being grown in containers.
If you use mint regularly for tea or cooking, keeping a small pot indoors can be much more convenient than waiting until spring.
Bringing Mint Indoors
You don't necessarily need to bring your entire outdoor mint plant into the house.
Consider:
- Taking cuttings
- Potting a small division
- Starting a separate container
This gives you a manageable indoor plant while the established outdoor mint goes dormant.
Light for Indoor Mint
Mint appreciates bright light.
It may tolerate somewhat less intense conditions than some Mediterranean herbs, but don't interpret that as meaning it can thrive in a dark corner.
If stems become long and weak, increase the available light.
Watering Indoor Mint
Mint generally prefers more consistent moisture than herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
But it still shouldn't sit in waterlogged potting mix.
Beginner difficulty: Easy
3. Parsley
Parsley can be an excellent cool-season indoor herb.
It's useful in an enormous range of recipes and doesn't require the hot conditions that basil prefers.
Parsley is a biennial.
That means its natural life cycle spans two growing seasons.
If you bring an established plant indoors, remember that its age matters.
A second-year parsley plant eventually wants to flower and produce seed.
Light for Indoor Parsley
Provide a bright window or supplemental grow light.
Parsley grown in inadequate light may become weak and stretched.
Harvesting Parsley
Harvest outer stems while allowing the center of the plant to continue growing.
Don't remove the entire top repeatedly.
Beginner difficulty: Easy to moderate
4. Thyme
Thyme is incredibly useful indoors because a small plant can provide plenty of flavor.
But thyme has two major requirements:
Good light
and
Good drainage.
This isn't an herb that appreciates being kept permanently wet.
Light for Indoor Thyme
Give thyme one of your brightest locations.
A strong sunny window may work.
Otherwise, use a grow light.
Watering Indoor Thyme
Allow the growing medium to begin drying appropriately between waterings rather than maintaining constantly soggy conditions.
Check the soil rather than watering on a rigid schedule.
Watch Older Thyme Plants
Older thyme can become woody.
If your outdoor plant is enormous and woody, taking a cutting or starting a younger plant may make more sense than digging up the entire thing.
Beginner difficulty: Moderate
5. Oregano
Oregano is another excellent culinary herb to have within reach all winter.
Like thyme, it appreciates plenty of light and good drainage.
A compact plant is usually easier to manage indoors than a giant established garden clump.
Bring in a Division or Cutting
If you have an established outdoor oregano plant, consider taking a small division or suitable cutting rather than relocating the entire plant.
This gives you a younger, more manageable indoor plant.
Light for Oregano
Give oregano bright light.
A grow light can help maintain stronger, more compact growth during the darkest part of winter.
Harvesting Oregano
Harvest lightly and regularly once the plant is actively growing.
If growth slows significantly, reduce harvesting and let the plant recover.
Beginner difficulty: Moderate
6. Lemon Balm
Lemon balm can be a fun indoor winter herb, particularly if you enjoy herbal tea.
Because it's related to mint, it tends to be fairly vigorous when conditions suit it.
Rather than digging up a large established plant, consider bringing in a small division or rooted cutting.
Light for Lemon Balm
Give lemon balm plenty of bright light.
Insufficient light can result in stretched, weak growth.
Watering Lemon Balm
Lemon balm generally prefers more consistent moisture than Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and thyme.
But the container still needs excellent drainage.
Beginner difficulty: Easy to moderate
7. Rosemary
Rosemary is probably one of the most popular herbs people try to overwinter indoors.
It's also one of the herbs most likely to make people say:
"I don't understand. It looked perfectly fine three days ago."
Rosemary can be successfully grown indoors.
But it wants conditions that many winter homes don't naturally provide.
Rosemary Needs Excellent Light
Put rosemary in one of your brightest locations.
A grow light may be extremely helpful.
Weak winter light can make maintaining healthy rosemary difficult.
Rosemary Doesn't Want Wet Roots
One of the most common problems with indoor rosemary is inappropriate watering.
The soil shouldn't remain constantly saturated.
But repeatedly allowing the root ball to become severely dry can also stress the plant.
Check the plant rather than watering automatically.
Watch for Spider Mites
Indoor rosemary can develop pest problems, including spider mites.
Inspect the foliage regularly.
Look closely rather than waiting until the plant is obviously declining.
Beginner difficulty: Moderate to challenging
8. Sage
Culinary sage can be grown indoors, particularly when you can provide strong light.
Because mature sage becomes woody and large, a younger plant is often easier to manage indoors.
Light for Indoor Sage
Give sage bright light.
A sunny window or grow light is preferable.
Weak light can lead to stretched growth.
Watering Sage
Sage generally doesn't want constantly wet potting mix.
Use a well-draining container and check soil moisture before watering.
Don't Overharvest
Indoor winter growth is usually slower than outdoor summer growth.
Harvest modestly.
Give the plant time to replace what you've taken.
Beginner difficulty: Moderate
9. Cilantro
Cilantro is a little different from many herbs on this list.
Rather than trying to keep one plant alive indefinitely, it often makes more sense to grow cilantro as a succession crop.
Start seeds.
Harvest.
Start another batch.
Cilantro Likes Cooler Conditions
Cilantro generally prefers cooler growing conditions than basil.
That can make it useful for winter indoor growing.
Give It Plenty of Light
Strong light helps produce better growth.
If winter windows aren't sufficient, grow lights can help.
Keep Planting More
Instead of expecting one cilantro plant to supply you all winter, sow small batches periodically.
That can provide a more continuous supply.
Beginner difficulty: Moderate
10. Basil
Can you grow basil indoors during winter?
Absolutely.
Is putting a basil plant on a random windowsill in December guaranteed to work?
Absolutely not.
Basil likes:
Warmth
Strong light
Consistent growing conditions
Winter homes can provide warmth.
Light is usually the bigger challenge.
Basil Is Extremely Sensitive to Cold
Don't leave basil sitting against freezing-cold window glass.
Avoid cold drafts.
If you're bringing basil inside from the garden, do it before frost damages the plant.
Basil Benefits From Grow Lights
If you want productive basil all winter, supplemental lighting can make a major difference.
Basil grown in weak light often becomes:
- Tall
- Thin
- Pale
- Weak
- Less productive
Consider Starting Fresh
Instead of moving an enormous outdoor basil plant inside, you may have better results with:
- Cuttings
- A smaller plant
- New seedlings
Basil grows relatively quickly under good conditions.
Sometimes starting over is easier than trying to convince an aging outdoor plant that summer never ended.
Beginner difficulty: Moderate with good light; challenging without it
Which Herbs Are Hardest to Grow Indoors?
Difficulty depends heavily on your house.
Someone with a huge sunny window may find rosemary easy.
Someone with dark north-facing windows may struggle with it.
Generally, the herbs that demand strong sunlight and excellent drainage tend to be less forgiving indoors.
That includes herbs such as:
Rosemary
Thyme
Sage
Oregano
They can absolutely grow indoors.
They simply require you to pay more attention to their environment.
Which Herbs Are Best for a Windowsill?
If you have a genuinely bright windowsill, try:
Chives
Parsley
Mint
Thyme
Oregano
Lemon balm
Rosemary and sage may also do well when the window receives enough direct light.
Basil needs strong light plus warmth.
Remember:
Not every windowsill is a sunny windowsill.
Which Herbs Are Best Under Grow Lights?
Almost any of these herbs can benefit from supplemental lighting.
Grow lights are especially useful for:
Basil
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
Sage
Cilantro
They're also helpful when starting herbs from seed or rooting cuttings.
If your house doesn't have great windows, grow lights allow you to stop organizing your entire indoor garden around one square foot of January sunshine.
Herbs for Tea
If your main goal is having fresh herbs available for tea, consider:
Mint
Lemon balm
You can also grow other appropriate culinary or tea herbs indoors depending on your space and growing conditions.
Before consuming any homegrown herb, positively identify the plant and confirm that the plant and plant part are appropriate for your intended use.
Herbs for Winter Cooking
For a practical kitchen garden, consider:
Chives
Parsley
Thyme
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Basil
Cilantro
You don't need all of them.
Think about what you actually cook.
If you use thyme three times a week and cilantro twice a year, give the prime grow-light space to thyme.
Don't Waste Your Best Growing Space
Indoor growing space is limited.
Especially good growing space.
You may have one excellent south-facing window.
Or one shelf under a grow light.
Prioritize.
Ask yourself:
Which fresh herbs would I actually use during winter?
That's a better starting point than:
Which herbs can technically be grown indoors?
Should You Bring Mature Plants Indoors?
Sometimes.
But mature outdoor plants aren't always the easiest option.
A large garden plant can:
- Take up considerable space
- Experience transplant shock
- Bring pests indoors
- Require a large container
- Need more light than you can provide
For many herbs, a smaller division, cutting, or new seedling can be more practical.
Plants Already Growing in Containers Are Easier
If you know you'll want an herb indoors during winter, consider growing it in a container throughout the outdoor season.
Then fall becomes much easier.
You don't need to dig up the root system.
You simply:
Inspect it.
Clean it.
Treat any pest problems appropriately.
Quarantine it.
Transition it indoors.
Planning for winter can begin in spring.
Prepare Outdoor Plants Before Bringing Them Inside
Don't carry an outdoor pot directly from the garden to the kitchen counter.
Inspect:
Leaves
Leaf undersides
Stems
Crown
Soil
Container rim
Drainage holes
Look for insects, eggs, webbing, scale, damaged foliage, disease, and other hitchhikers.
Clean the outside of the pot.
Remove dead debris.
Then quarantine the plant away from established houseplants while you continue monitoring it.
Don't Automatically Repot Everything
If a plant is healthy and already growing in an appropriately sized container with suitable potting mix, it may not need repotted simply because you're moving it indoors.
Moving inside is already a significant environmental change.
Repot when there's a reason.
For example:
- Poor drainage
- Damaged container
- Severe root crowding
- Inappropriate soil
- Other genuine growing problem
Otherwise, let the plant adjust.
Give Plants Time to Transition
A plant moving indoors experiences a dramatic reduction in light.
Even a bright window is different from outdoor sunshine.
Some herbs may:
- Drop leaves
- Slow down
- Produce smaller growth
- Temporarily stop growing
Don't immediately respond by adding fertilizer or more water.
First evaluate the environment.
Usually start with:
Is the plant getting enough light?
Winter Watering Is Different
Indoor winter herbs generally don't need the same watering routine they had outdoors in July.
Check each plant individually.
Stick a finger into the growing medium.
Lift smaller pots and learn how they feel when wet versus dry.
Watch the plant.
Then water based on need.
A calendar that says:
WATER ALL HERBS EVERY TUESDAY
sounds wonderfully organized.
The plants don't care that it's Tuesday.
Drainage Holes Are Essential
Indoor herb pots need somewhere for excess water to go.
Use containers with drainage holes.
Use saucers or trays to protect furniture.
Then empty excess standing water when appropriate.
A decorative pot without drainage can quickly become a tiny indoor swamp.
Don't Let Herbs Sit in Water
This is especially important for:
Rosemary
Thyme
Sage
Oregano
These herbs generally prefer good drainage.
Mint and lemon balm may appreciate somewhat more consistent moisture, but that doesn't mean they want waterlogged roots.
Watch the Temperature Around Windows
A sunny windowsill can be wonderful during the day and surprisingly cold overnight.
Keep leaves from pressing against icy glass.
Watch for drafts.
On the opposite side, avoid putting herbs directly over heating vents.
Plants generally prefer more stable conditions.
Don't Forget Airflow
Ten herb pots packed tightly together can create a humid little pocket of stagnant air.
Give plants space.
Reasonable air circulation can help reduce problems associated with constantly damp foliage and crowded conditions.
A small fan may be useful in some indoor growing setups, particularly under grow lights.
It doesn't need to blast the plants.
You're growing parsley, not training it for a hurricane.
Watch for Indoor Pests All Winter
Even if plants looked clean when they came inside, continue inspecting them.
Pay particular attention to:
Spider mites
Aphids
Whiteflies
Scale
Mealybugs
Fungus gnats
Check leaves every week while you're watering.
Early pest problems are much easier to manage than a full indoor infestation.
Don't Overfertilize Winter Herbs
More fertilizer doesn't compensate for inadequate light.
If the plant isn't actively growing because it doesn't have enough light, feeding it heavily won't solve the underlying problem.
Fertilizer needs depend on the herb, potting medium, growth rate, and growing conditions.
Focus first on creating a healthy growing environment.
Harvest Less Than You Would Outside
An oregano plant growing outdoors in July may replace harvested growth quickly.
The same plant indoors in January may grow much more slowly.
Adjust your harvesting.
If the plant is producing lots of healthy new growth, harvest modestly.
If growth has nearly stopped, leave it alone.
You can't continually remove growth faster than the plant can replace it.
Create a Simple Indoor Herb Garden
For your first year, you might choose just five:
Mint
Chives
Parsley
Thyme
Rosemary
That gives you:
Fresh herbs for tea.
Fresh herbs for cooking.
Different plant types to experiment with.
And enough variety to learn which herbs perform best in your particular home.
Next year, you'll know much more.
Keep an Indoor Herb Garden Journal
Write down:
Herb
Where it came from
Date brought indoors
Window or grow light
Watering observations
Pest problems
Harvests
Whether it survived until spring
This may sound excessive.
It isn't.
By February, you won't remember whether the rosemary that looks fantastic was the one you put under the grow light or the one that originally sat in the kitchen window.
Record it.
Your House Is Its Own Growing Environment
Indoor gardening advice can only take you so far.
Your home has its own:
- Windows
- Temperatures
- Humidity
- Heating system
- Drafts
- Light levels
Experiment.
Maybe mint thrives in your kitchen.
Maybe parsley loves one particular window.
Maybe rosemary absolutely refuses to cooperate unless it's under a grow light.
That's useful information.
Eventually you'll develop a winter herb-growing system designed specifically for your home.
Best Indoor Winter Herbs at a Glance
If you're just starting:
Easiest:
Mint, chives, parsley
Easy to moderate:
Lemon balm
Moderate:
Thyme, oregano, sage, cilantro
Needs more attention:
Rosemary
Much easier with strong light and warmth:
Basil
These aren't absolute rankings.
Your growing conditions can completely change the results.
Start Small This Winter
You don't need a greenhouse.
You don't need thirty herbs.
And you don't need the most expensive grow-light system available.
Pick a few herbs you genuinely use.
Give them good containers.
Find your brightest growing space.
Add supplemental lighting if necessary.
Learn how quickly each pot dries.
Check for pests.
Harvest thoughtfully.
And pay attention to what works.
Indoor winter gardening is partly about producing herbs.
But it's also an experiment.
By spring, you'll know which herbs are worth bringing indoors again next fall.
And while the outdoor herb garden is brown, frozen, and dormant, you'll still have something green growing inside.
That alone can make a windowsill herb garden worth the effort.
Continue the Indoor Winter Herb Garden Series
Next:
Do Herbs Need a Grow Light Indoors? A Beginner's Guide to Winter Herb Lighting
We'll cover:
- Why winter windows aren't always enough
- South-, east-, west-, and north-facing windows
- How close herbs should be to a window
- Which herbs need the most light
- Which herbs tolerate less light
- Signs an herb isn't getting enough light
- What type of grow light to buy
- Full-spectrum LED grow lights
- How high to position a grow light
- How long to leave it on
- Why timers make indoor gardening easier
- Grow lights for a single pot
- Grow lights for shelves
- How to combine window light with grow lights
- A simple inexpensive beginner setup
Because before buying fertilizer, changing soil, or watering your struggling herb for the fourth time this week, there's one question worth asking:
Does this plant simply need more light?
Explore Related Products
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- Windowsill grow kit
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- Heirloom seed kit
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