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mlim_gw

Tropical Herbs?

19 years ago

Hi! I live in the Philippines and it is mostly around 25-30 degrees celsius year round. I've grown basil really well and am wondering what other herbs can survive naturally here in the tropics? By surviving naturally, I mean it can be kept planted on the ground outdoors and it can reproduce. I bought dill in a bazaar once and it didn't last long coz it's not suited to the climate here I guess. Can I grow rosemary or mint? or what other herbs are suitable?

Comments (3)

  • 19 years ago

    I imagine cilantro might grow well in your climate. It is a member of the parsley family, so probably parsely would grow, too. Various peppers ought to do well. Mint and rosemary would probably work out for you. Remember that mint is invasive--it spreads like crazy. Might want to do mint in a big pot!

  • 19 years ago

    I think you'll have trouble with coriander. It will grow all right, but will bolt to seed in the blink of an eye. Here in the subtropics, I regard it as strictly a winter plant, and even then it only lasts a couple of weeks, so successive crops are essential if you want the leaves. I suggest you grow Asian Coriander instead (Eryngium foetidum).

    I grow all the usual Mediterranean herbs with no problem at all - rosemary, sage, oregano (keep in a container!)savory, basil, lavender, thyme etc. You'll just need to make sure they aren't grown too close together (they'll need plenty of air circulation to prevent mould), and that they are built up on small hills (raised beds) to help with drainage. They can take a fair amount of water/rain/humidity, but they absolutely can't take constantly wet feet.

    I also grow tropical herbs like ginger, galangal, turmeric, arrowroot, cardamom, lemongrass etc. Some of the larger-leafed ones might need to be grown in shade or the leaves will burn. But they sure can take the heat and humidity. Asian greens like bok choy and choy sum grow quickly and easily. Try a kaffir lime.

    Parsley should do well for you, and chillies which are classified as annuals could grow year after year for you. Basils might do the same. Mints will need to be grown in containers in partial shade or they really will take over.

    You will be able to grow a pepper vine successfully, too. Piper nigrum.

    Chives and garlic chives should do well for you, and of course there are dozens of different tropical fruits. Try a Pepino, a prolific producer, but only about the size of a basil.

    http://asiarecipe.com/philippines.html

    http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=pepino&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

    Here is a link that might be useful: tropical herbs

  • 19 years ago

    mlim, you can grow some of the warmer-growing mints, but unfortunately I am having difficulty looking up names. A very thin-leaved mint is grown in Vietnam, and there is another grown in Egypt. Egyptian mint is mentha niliaca (well fancy that, "nile mint"). It looks and smells like another mint we grow here, with a fruity-minty fragrance.

    Grow Persicaria odorata ("Vietnamese Coriander") instead of Coriander/Cilantro. It can take tropical heat.

    Basils come in several different scents. Some of them do not smell like Basil at all, but like other things. "Lime" basil for example smells like citronella (it doesn't really smell like limes, but less aromatic, very much like lemons).

    Other Basils smell camphory.

    Even among the ones that smell like Basil, there is a lot of difference in the smells. I like "cinnamon basil" for the strong cinnamon-clove component to its smell. Thai basil is somewhat similar.

    Oh, you can grow a very popular tropical herb: Pogostemmon patchouli. You don't eat it tho you make incense and men's cologne out of it. It has a distinct balsomy-musky smell to it.

    Be thankful that you can grow Lemon Grass. A lot of people would like to, but it is very tender. I substitute other things instead, like Lemon Verbena.

    Murraya koenigii is "Curry leaf plant" much beloved for Indian cooking. It has a pungent smell and is much used in stews. It's not technically an herb (it's a shrub) but you use it like one.

    Pandan is also a big shrub, not an 'herb', but you use it like one. You are probably already very familiar with it.