The short answer: at least 18 herbs grow reliably indoors year-round, from fast annuals like basil, coriander and dill to slower perennials like rosemary, thyme and sage — provided each one gets 12 to 16 hours of light a day. We grow all 18 in our Tallinn test kitchen, split between windowsill pots and hydroponic smart garden pods.
I’m Anna, and herbs are the first thing I recommend to anyone starting indoor gardening. Over the past year I’ve kept a rotating collection on our Tallinn windowsills and in a LetPot smart garden, tracking which herbs actually thrived under our grey Baltic light and which ones sulked no matter what I did. This guide lists all 18 that earned a permanent spot, grouped by how fast they grow and how much light they need, so you can match herbs to the space you actually have rather than guessing.
What we used — tested in our Tallinn test kitchen, ships from Estonia across the EU.
What actually decides whether a herb grows indoors
Most “can I grow this indoors” questions come down to one variable: light, not soil or watering skill. The RHS splits culinary herbs into annuals, biennials and perennials, and that grouping matters indoors too, because annuals like basil and dill grow fast and need resowing every few weeks, while perennials like rosemary and thyme grow slowly but keep producing for years from a single plant. On a bright south-facing sill in summer, most of the 18 herbs below get enough natural light. From October to March at Baltic latitudes, natural light drops to a fraction of what these plants need, which is why a supplemental LED or a self-lit hydroponic pod carries most of the growing season here. We sort every herb into a light band below so you know which ones need help first.
Fast annual herbs: basil, coriander, dill and cress
These four are the quickest payoff for a beginner. Basil wants 14 to 16 hours of light and steady warmth around 20 to 25°C, and rewards regular pinching with two to three months of continuous harvest from one sowing. Coriander and dill both bolt quickly in heat, so cooler, bright conditions suit them better than a hot windowsill, and both are ready to cut within a few weeks of sowing. Garden cress is the fastest of the four by far, ready in as little as 6 to 8 days, and needs only a shallow tray and bright indirect light rather than a full growing setup. All four do well in soil pots or hydroponic pods, since they prefer the substrate staying lightly and evenly moist rather than drying out between waterings. Browse the full range under herb seeds.
Slow perennials: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano and lavender
These five are Mediterranean natives, and that background explains how to treat them indoors: bright light, full sun where possible, and soil that dries out between waterings rather than staying moist. Rosemary and lavender are the pickiest about drainage, since constantly damp roots are the most common way we’ve killed both in testing. Thyme and oregano tolerate poorer, grittier soil and reward you with a bushier plant if you trim regularly rather than letting them get leggy. Sage sits between the two: it wants full sun and dislikes damp, low-light winters, so a supplemental grow light matters more for sage than for the other four once autumn arrives. None of these five grow as fast as the annuals above, but a single well-established plant of any of them can keep producing for two to three years, which makes the slower start worth it.
Moisture-loving herbs: parsley, chives, peppermint and lemon balm
This group is the opposite of the Mediterranean five: all four prefer soil or a hydroponic reservoir that stays consistently moist rather than drying out. Parsley is forgiving of beginner mistakes and does well in moderate light, making it a safe second herb after basil. Chives are a hardy perennial that tolerates cooler temperatures and even partial shade, and clipping the leaves with scissors encourages fast regrowth. Peppermint is the one to isolate in its own pot, since it spreads aggressively and will crowd out anything sharing its container within a season. Lemon balm behaves similarly to mint in its love of moisture but stays a little more contained, and both are strongly aromatic enough that a single pot scents a whole kitchen. In a hydroponic smart garden, all four benefit from the constant moisture the reservoir provides, which is part of why we run most of them in mini smart gardens rather than soil pots.
Leafy greens and edible flowers that behave like herbs: lettuce, salad mixes, rucola, spinach, calendula and chamomile
The last six stretch the definition of “herb” a little, but every one of them grows on the same windowsill or in the same smart garden pod as the herbs above, and most guides to indoor herb gardens lump them in together. Lettuce, salad mixes and rucola are all cut-and-come-again leafy crops that want bright light and consistently moist roots, and rucola in particular grows fast enough to treat as a near-instant crop. Spinach wants slightly cooler conditions than basil or mint and bolts if it gets too hot, so keep it away from a sunny radiator shelf. Calendula and chamomile are edible flowering herbs rather than leaf crops, both used for tea and both needing bright light to flower reliably indoors, which makes a supplemental LED more useful for these two than for the leafy crops nearby. None of these six need anything more specialised than the equipment the annual herbs above already use.
Windowsill pot or hydroponic smart garden
Both routes grow every herb on this list, and the choice comes down to how much daily attention you want to give it and how dark your kitchen gets in winter. A soil pot on a bright windowsill is the cheaper starting point and works well for the Mediterranean perennials that want to dry out between waterings. A hydroponic smart garden runs its own timed LED and reservoir, which removes the winter light problem entirely and suits the moisture-loving group especially well, since the constant water supply matches what parsley, chives, mint and lemon balm actually want. We run a LetPot Mini for our fast annuals and moisture-lovers, and keep the Mediterranean perennials in soil pots on the sill, which is the same split we would recommend to a beginner starting from scratch.
| Group | Herbs | Light need | Best growing method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast annuals | Basil, coriander, dill, cress | 12–16 hours | Soil pot or hydroponic pod |
| Slow perennials | Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender | Full sun, 12+ hours | Soil pot, drier substrate |
| Moisture-lovers | Parsley, chives, peppermint, lemon balm | 10–14 hours | Hydroponic pod or moist soil |
| Leafy & flowering | Lettuce, salad mixes, rucola, spinach, calendula, chamomile | 12–16 hours | Hydroponic pod or soil pot |
| What we used to test | — | — | LetPot Mini 5-pod, €59.00 |
Most individual herb seed packets in our range run from €1.39 to €2.49, and a liquid herb fertiliser like the one we use costs €9.99 and lasts months across a full pot rotation.
Frequently asked questions
Which herb is easiest to grow indoors for a beginner?
Basil and parsley are the two most forgiving. Basil grows fast and tells you clearly when it’s unhappy, while parsley tolerates moderate light and beginner watering mistakes better than most herbs on this list.
Do all 18 of these herbs need a grow light?
Not in summer, when a bright window supplies enough natural light for most of them. From autumn to spring at Baltic latitudes, natural light drops well below what any of these herbs need for steady growth, which is when a supplemental LED or a self-lit hydroponic system starts to matter.
Can I grow Mediterranean herbs like rosemary in a hydroponic smart garden?
You can, but they are more forgiving in soil that dries out between waterings. If you do grow rosemary, thyme or sage hydroponically, let the reservoir run lower than you would for parsley or basil, and watch for any sign of rot at the base.
Why does my mint or lemon balm take over its pot?
Both are naturally vigorous spreaders. Give either one its own container rather than sharing with other herbs, and divide the plant every year or two if it starts crowding its pot.
How many of these herbs can I grow at once in a small kitchen?
A 5-pod smart garden comfortably runs five of the moisture-loving or fast annual herbs at once, while two or three soil pots on a windowsill cover the Mediterranean perennials. Most home kitchens have room for 6 to 10 herbs running together without feeling crowded.
Are calendula and chamomile really herbs?
They’re usually grown for tea and traditional use rather than cooking, but they share the same light, water and pot requirements as culinary herbs like basil and parsley, which is why we grow and group them the same way.
If you want to fix this today
If you already know which group fits your kitchen, start there: fast annuals for a quick first harvest, or the moisture-loving group if you want a low-effort hydroponic setup. The LetPot Mini is the easiest way to run five herbs on one timer, and our full herb seeds range covers all 18 varieties in this guide. Once basil is producing well, our guide to growing basil indoors covers pinching and harvesting in more depth.
