Year of the Herbs

Posted by Hilda M. Morrill

October 6, 2011

Every year since 1982, the National Garden Bureau and its members have selected one flower and one vegetable to be showcased in their "Year of the ..." program. These plants are chosen because they are popular, easy-to-grow, widely adaptable, genetically diverse, and versatile.

For 2012 there is a change: In addition to the flower (Geraniums) and the vegetable (Herbs in general), a perennial has been chosen (Heucheras, commonly called Coral Bells).

In this article we will share Bureau information regarding "The Year of the Herbs." In future articles we will describe geraniums and heucheras.

Herbs can be found in gardens, window boxes, salads, bouquets, crafts, containers and even medicines. Herbs provide fragrance, flavor, spice and beauty to our lives. They are versatile and easy to grow and come in a variety of shapes, textures and colors.

Imagine looking through a cookbook that never mentions herbs, or think of a world without fragrances and air fresheners. Contemplate brushing your teeth with no mint in the toothpaste. Visualizations of this sort can lead to the realization of the many ways that we interact with herbs every day and to a better understanding of why they are so valued for their fragrance, flavor and medicinal properties.

What is an herb? A very fitting definition of what is really an herb was coined by Holly Shimizu, director of the U.S. Botanic Garden. She says, "Herbs are defined as plants (trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, biennials or annuals) valued historically, presently, or potentially for their flavor, fragrance, medicinal qualities, insecticidal qualities, economic or industrial use, or in the case of dyes, for the coloring material they provide." This definition defines herbs by their usefulness, rather than by their appearance or botanical structure. Thus, trees (such as witch hazel), bulbs (such as garlic) and shrubs (such as boxwood) are included.

Throughout history, one of the challenges of using herbs has been the uncertainty caused by the lack of taxonomical names and too many common names. For example, oregano (Origanum vulgare) has been known as wintersweet, pot marjoram, wild marjoram and Dost. We are indebted to Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, for developing a classification system that helped to clarify plant species. Also, trying to sum up the history of individual herbs is challenging because of the different roles that each one has played, although a few historical events have had an impact upon the use of herbs and the spread of knowledge about them.

How early in history herbs came into use is unknown, but it is likely they played a substantial role in ancient civilizations. Ancient records discovered in Egypt reveal that the Egyptian people had an understanding of the healing power of herbs as early as 3500 B.C. The "Ebers Papyrus," which was written circa 1550 B.C., lists prescriptions that Egyptians used to treat illnesses and injuries. Herbs such as basil, dill, parsley, caraway, mint and thyme were prescribed.

According to Chinese legend, an emperor named Shen-Nong (ca.2737 B.C.-ca. 2698 B.C.) tasted hundreds of herbs, even poisonous ones. It is believed that many of the practices with Chinese herbs originated with Shen-Nong.

Archaeological excavations have also found evidence of herbs being used in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.), a Greek physician, was one of the first to classify herbs according to their usefulness for treating infirmities. Pliny the Elder (ca. 29 A.D-70 A.D.), a Roman author and naturalist, devoted several of his volumes on natural history to the use of medicinal plants.

During the Medieval period or the Middle Ages, long-held superstitions often governed the use of herbs rather than solid evidence. Local herbs were used mostly by the lower classes because they could not afford expensive, imported spices. The Renaissance period brought about many of the beautiful herbals revered today as scholars sought to document their plant collections. During this time a growing knowledge of the usefulness of herbs was spreading throughout Europe with increasing speed. In 1652, Nicholas Culpeper authored "Complete Herbal," which documented medicinal remedies used in Europe, helping to disabuse the notion that doctor's concoctions and tonics were the only medicine available.

In 1492, Columbus set out on a quest to discover a direct sea passage from Europe to Asia; instead he landed in the Americas. The exchange of information and plants that followed had a profound impact upon the use of herbs in Europe. Native Americans played an important role in this exchange of knowledge.

Herbs have continued to be used in North America for landscaping, cooking, medicine and bath and beauty products. The same is true for many other areas of the world. It is difficult to find a part of the world that has not been impacted by herb plants in some way.

For more information regarding climate, soil, fertilization, and watering requirements of herbs, as well as their successful harvesting, visit the National Garden Bureau website at www.ngb.org.

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We thank the National Garden Bureau and credit them as our source.