Just What Is An Herb? A prominent columnist for a newspaper has been writing about "spices" for many months now, including in his articles plant materials many of us would regard as herbs. What's the difference? Is an herb really a spice? From a gardening point of view, there is a difference . . . they are two, distinct, plant sub-cultures and most of us do care about including herbs in our gardens and homes.

Historical Origins. Our earliest ancestors (and their earliest ancestors) foraged in the forests, savannas, ravines and river banks seeking green plants and plant parts that could be used for magical and medicinal purposes. As we became more civilized, churches, monks and nuns cultivated herb gardens using dried leaves, flowers and bulbs to provide medicinal relief to their congregations year-round. These are "herbs" which coincidentally came to be used for cooking.

Spices on the other hand came to Europe already dried from faraway places. They were always dried seeds, tree bark and hard and woody-like plant parts which were easy to transport. These are "spices" and were seldom used in Europe for medicinal purposes, but rather were used as or in food.

Definitions. An herb is a leafy, green material that is used fresh or dried for medicinal, culinary, cosmetic or craft purposes. A spice is a seed, a seed pod, bark or woody-like material that is used for culinary purposes and sometimes used in craft projects. These are not scientific descriptions, but ones that originate from European history and common usage of the materials.

The word herb means "leafy green." Leafy, green plants that completely die back in winter only to resurrect themselves in spring are called "herbaceous." Examples include fennel, pyrethrum, costmary and catnip. However, not all herbaceous plants are herbs; ornamental plants that have no history of ritual or medicinal use are not herbs. A good example is the lovely peony; it is herbaceous because it completely dies away during winter, then regrows in spring, but it is not considered an herb.

More Definitions . . . Annual Herbs. Basil is probably the most commonly known of the annual herbs. It is planted from seed each spring and experiences an entire life cycle in one growing season, finally producing seed from which new plants will grow the following spring. Other commonly known annual herbs are dill, cilantro, mustard and calendula; less common is fenugreek.

Biennial Herbs. I can think of only one common herb that is biennial; in other words, a plant having a life cycle that spans two growing seasons. This herb is probably used in every kitchen every day and eaten by just about everyone. It is used both fresh and dried, it is easy to grow in the home garden, it looks lovely as an edging plant in a garden bed or border, it has insignificant flowers at the end of the second growing season and it can reseed itself. Do you recognize this herb as parsley?

Perennial Herbs. This type of herb plant continues growing in the garden every year. Some are herbaceous (disappearing entirely in winter), some are deciduous (retaining their woody structures while losing their leaves in winter) and others remain intact all year, including their leaves. Mints are hardy herbaceous perennials as are lovage, chamomile and tarragon. Lemon verbena is a deciduous perennial herb.

Shrubs and Trees. Lavender, rosemary, artemesias, marjorams, oregano and lemon verbena fall into the shrub category of herbs while Ginkgo biloba, juniper and bay are trees that can be grown here in El Dorado County.

On Saturday, February 4, a free "Herb Gardening" class will be presented by the UCCE – El Dorado County Master Gardeners, focusing on herbs that grow well in our county; we will also share information regarding garden styles using herbs, cultivation, harvesting and drying herbs. It begins at 9 a.m. in the Ag Extension Office at 311 Fair Lane, Placerville. However, if you can't make this class, call our office at 621-5512 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, with questions about herbs or any other home gardening topic; we also welcome walk-ins at the above address.

Note: The Master Gardener class on "Grapes" scheduled for next Saturday, February 11, has been cancelled.