It’s always fantastic when you have plants that look beautiful in the garden, and work really well in the kitchen.

For readers who enjoy Mexican cooking, the good news is that three of the top four Mexican culinary herbs fall in this culinary/horticultural category: Mexican oregano, hoya santa, and Mexican marigold mint and cilantro. 

Mexican oregano (Poliomentha longiflora) is an evergreen that grows to three feet and blooms a light pink to lavender flower from spring to frost. This flowering perennial has a spicy oregano flavor that turns off the deer and can be quite drought-tolerant when established. It looks beautiful with salvias, lantanas, and Mexican mint marigold in our perennial landscape beds. 

Hoya santa (Piper auritum) is a large leaf herbaceous perennial herb that has a curious root beer flavor to its leaf. This plant can grow from full shade to full sun depending on how much water it gets. Its large leaf and size will give a tropical look to the landscape. The leaves are used to wrap fish fillet or chicken breast and baked in the oven or steam. 

In Mexico, its leaves are an essential ingredient in green mole. In Guatemala it is used to make traditional tamales, which are wrapped in banana leaves. Hoya santa is very popular along the east coast of Mexico and can be found on the menu of Fonda San Miguel in downtown Austin. 

Mexican marigold mint (Tagetes lucida) grows from spring to fall and has an anise flavor to the leaf. This easy-to-grow perennial blooms heavily in the fall is an effective substitute for French tarragon, which is difficult to grow. 

Last but not least is cilantro. Though not the best plant for your landscape, this essential Mexican herb is easy to grow if you pick the right season. It loves the cooler weather of fall and winter. Planted in late September or early October, it will grow and produce flavorful leaves throughout the winter. 

Cilantro will bolt and bloom in the spring, ending its life cycle. For a heat-tolerant plant which has a similar flavor, you might try Vietnamese cilantro which is also called Rau Rum. This plant thrives in the heat. Happy gardening everyone! 

If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to iathyme@yahoo.com.  Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748  www.itsaboutthyme.com