05-08-2007, 06:52 PM
I've only managed to grow a few culinary herbs here (basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary at present), but I'd be interested whether these other herbs will go.
I've grown a few hypericum's (St John's) in Northern California, a tough plant and one I much enjoyed having for its flowers and foliage alone.
Also have grown Echinacea, which goes dormant in winter and will make it in Alaska.
The fact it grows in Alaska makes me a little dubious it can handle year round warmth, but hope to learn differently.
Chamomile is easy to grow (although again I've only grown it in California), but Chamomile Nobile, the common plant, is not the chamomile used for tea, although it makes a fine ground cover.
The one you want for herb tea is Matricaria recutita aka M. chamomilla. As a side note, some people have allergic reactions to chamomile (chrysanthemum relative), and some people are allergic to echinacea.
Sunset doesn't say it can take Hawai'i, only to Zone 24, bet it would like Waimea though, and maybe Honoka'a.
Hope you'll post how it goes for you. I'm very into herbs and gardening, but oddly, I've never grown my own medicinal herbs ... I'm a little scared of getting the potency wrong; some of them are very powerful. But I like the idea of it.
PS. St. John's Wort (herbal prozac) can make people hypersensitive to sunshine, similar to the effect of NSAIDS like naproxyn.
I've grown a few hypericum's (St John's) in Northern California, a tough plant and one I much enjoyed having for its flowers and foliage alone.
Also have grown Echinacea, which goes dormant in winter and will make it in Alaska.
The fact it grows in Alaska makes me a little dubious it can handle year round warmth, but hope to learn differently.
Chamomile is easy to grow (although again I've only grown it in California), but Chamomile Nobile, the common plant, is not the chamomile used for tea, although it makes a fine ground cover.
The one you want for herb tea is Matricaria recutita aka M. chamomilla. As a side note, some people have allergic reactions to chamomile (chrysanthemum relative), and some people are allergic to echinacea.
Sunset doesn't say it can take Hawai'i, only to Zone 24, bet it would like Waimea though, and maybe Honoka'a.
Hope you'll post how it goes for you. I'm very into herbs and gardening, but oddly, I've never grown my own medicinal herbs ... I'm a little scared of getting the potency wrong; some of them are very powerful. But I like the idea of it.
PS. St. John's Wort (herbal prozac) can make people hypersensitive to sunshine, similar to the effect of NSAIDS like naproxyn.