Subtotal $0.00
Shop Now
The types of herbs in a kitchen mostly come from two plant families: Colorado State University Extension says many popular herbs are members of the mint (Lamiaceae) and carrot (Apiaceae) families. University of Illinois Extension describes herbs as the leaves of plants grown in the temperate zone, while spices come from roots, bark, buds, berries or fruits of aromatic plants usually grown in the tropics. This guide sorts eleven culinary herbs by family, life cycle and flavor with extension sources, and compares fresh and dried herbs with USDA FoodData Central values. Each herb has its own guide: basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, chives and tarragon.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Colorado State University Extension places basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme in the mint family (Lamiaceae), and parsley, cilantro and dill in the carrot family (Apiaceae).
- Colorado State University Extension lists tarragon in the sunflower family, and Washington State University Extension lists chives as Allium schoenoprasum.
- Colorado State University Extension says dried herbs taste about three to four times stronger than fresh ones.
- Per 100 grams, fresh parsley lists about 133.0 milligrams of vitamin C and 1,640.0 micrograms of vitamin K in USDA data, against FDA Daily Values of 90 milligrams and 120 micrograms.
Types of herbs by plant family
Colorado State University Extension sorts culinary herbs by botanical family in its herb table, and Washington State University Extension adds current scientific names for some of them.
- Mint family (Lamiaceae), basil: Colorado State University Extension lists basil as an Ocimum species in the mint family.
- Mint family, the mints: Washington State University Extension names spearmint, Mentha spicata, as one of the most commonly grown mints, and peppermint, Mentha x piperita, as the one with a sharper flavor.
- Mint family, oregano and marjoram: Colorado State University Extension lists oregano as an Origanum species, and University of Illinois Extension names Greek oregano (Origanum hirtum), common oregano (Origanum vulgare) and sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana).
- Mint family, rosemary: Washington State University Extension gives its name as Salvia rosmarinus, recently changed from Rosmarinus officinalis.
- Mint family, sage and thyme: Colorado State University Extension lists sage as Salvia officinalis and thyme as Thymus vulgaris, which Washington State University Extension calls English thyme, the most commonly grown culinary thyme.
- Carrot family (Apiaceae): Colorado State University Extension lists parsley (Petroselinum crispum), cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) and dill (Anethum graveolens) in the carrot family.
- Sunflower family: Colorado State University Extension lists tarragon as Artemisia dracunculus.
- Onion genus: Washington State University Extension lists chives as Allium schoenoprasum.
Annual, biennial and perennial culinary herbs
Virginia Cooperative Extension lists basil, cilantro, dill and parsley as annuals and chives, mints, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme as perennials.
- Parsley is a biennial: Washington State University Extension explains that parsley grows leaves its first year after germination and then blooms the second year.
- Cool season and warm season: Virginia Cooperative Extension groups cilantro, dill and parsley as cool season herbs and basil, oregano and sage as warm season herbs.
Delicate, medium and strong herb flavors
Colorado State University Extension, in a table modified from the University of Delaware, groups herbs by flavor strength:
- Delicate: chervil, chives and parsley, which Colorado State University Extension says combine well with most other herbs.
- Medium: basil, celery leaves, tarragon, marjoram, mint, oregano, savory and thyme, according to Colorado State University Extension.
- Strong: bay leaf, rosemary and sage, which Colorado State University Extension says will impart a dominant flavor.
Fresh and dried herbs in the kitchen
- Strength: Colorado State University Extension says the flavor of dried herbs is about three to four times stronger than fresh herbs, so a recipe that swaps dried for fresh calls for a quarter to a third as much, by its guidance.
- Timing: Colorado State University Extension says dried herbs go in near the beginning of cooking so they have time to rehydrate, while fresh herbs are usually added during the last part of cooking.
On a label, FDA counts many of these leaves as spices: the FDA definition in 21 CFR 101.22 lists basil, bay leaves, chervil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon and thyme among its examples of spices.
Fresh culinary herbs compared in USDA data
USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy has fresh entries for nine of these herbs. The table lists them per 100 grams so that leaves of different weights can be compared, with SR Legacy’s common portion alongside, ranked by vitamin C. Each percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children 4 and older: 28 grams of dietary fiber, 1,300 milligrams of calcium, 18 milligrams of iron, 4,700 milligrams of potassium, 90 milligrams of vitamin C and 900 micrograms of vitamin A. SR Legacy has no fresh oregano, sage or tarragon entry, and no vitamin K value for some fresh herbs, so vitamin K is left out of the table.
| Herb (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Common portion (USDA) | Calories | Fiber | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | Vitamin C | Vitamin A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thyme, fresh (173470) | 100 g | 1 tsp, 0.8 g | 101 | 14.0 g (50%) | 405 mg (31%) | 17.45 mg (97%) | 609 mg (13%) | 160.1 mg (178%) | 238 mcg RAE (26%) |
| Parsley, fresh (170416) | 100 g | 1 tbsp, 3.8 g | 36 | 3.3 g (12%) | 138 mg (11%) | 6.20 mg (34%) | 554 mg (12%) | 133.0 mg (148%) | 421 mcg RAE (47%) |
| Dill weed, fresh (172233) | 100 g | 5 sprigs, 1 g | 43 | 2.1 g (8%) | 208 mg (16%) | 6.59 mg (37%) | 738 mg (16%) | 85.0 mg (94%) | 386 mcg RAE (43%) |
| Chives, raw (169994) | 100 g | 1 tbsp chopped, 3 g | 30 | 2.5 g (9%) | 92 mg (7%) | 1.60 mg (9%) | 296 mg (6%) | 58.1 mg (65%) | 218 mcg RAE (24%) |
| Peppermint, fresh (173474) | 100 g | 2 tbsp, 3.2 g | 70 | 8.0 g (29%) | 243 mg (19%) | 5.08 mg (28%) | 569 mg (12%) | 31.8 mg (35%) | 212 mcg RAE (24%) |
| Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw (169997) | 100 g | 1/4 cup, 4 g | 23 | 2.8 g (10%) | 67 mg (5%) | 1.77 mg (10%) | 521 mg (11%) | 27.0 mg (30%) | 337 mcg RAE (37%) |
| Rosemary, fresh (173473) | 100 g | 1 tbsp, 1.7 g | 131 | 14.1 g (50%) | 317 mg (24%) | 6.65 mg (37%) | 668 mg (14%) | 21.8 mg (24%) | 146 mcg RAE (16%) |
| Basil, fresh (172232) | 100 g | 2 tbsp chopped, 5.3 g | 23 | 1.6 g (6%) | 177 mg (14%) | 3.17 mg (18%) | 295 mg (6%) | 18.0 mg (20%) | 264 mcg RAE (29%) |
| Spearmint, fresh (173475) | 100 g | 2 tbsp, 11.4 g | 44 | 6.8 g (24%) | 199 mg (15%) | 11.87 mg (66%) | 458 mg (10%) | 13.3 mg (15%) | 203 mcg RAE (23%) |
USDA weighs a teaspoon of fresh thyme at only 0.8 grams, so the portion column matters. Where SR Legacy has vitamin K values, the leafy herbs stand out: fresh parsley lists about 1,640.0 micrograms, the basil entry about 414.8 micrograms and raw cilantro about 310.0 micrograms per 100 grams in USDA data, against an FDA Daily Value of 120 micrograms. Our vitamin K foods list ranks more greens.
Dried herbs per tablespoon in USDA data
SR Legacy lists dried forms of eleven herbs, and the table uses one tablespoon, SR Legacy’s tablespoon weight where one exists and three times the teaspoon weight for oregano leaves, with the same FDA Daily Values, ranked by calcium.
| Herb (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Calories | Fiber | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | Vitamin C | Vitamin A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dill weed, dried (171322) | 1 tbsp, 3.1 g | 8 | 0.4 g (2%) | 55 mg (4%) | 1.51 mg (8%) | 103 mg (2%) | 1.6 mg (2%) | 9 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Thyme, dried leaves (170938) | 1 tbsp, 2.7 g | 7 | 1.0 g (4%) | 51 mg (4%) | 3.34 mg (19%) | 22 mg (0%) | 1.4 mg (2%) | 5 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Oregano, dried leaves (171328) | 1 tbsp, 3 g | 8 | 1.3 g (5%) | 48 mg (4%) | 1.10 mg (6%) | 38 mg (1%) | 0.1 mg (0%) | 3 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Basil, dried leaves (171317) | 1 tbsp, 2.1 g | 5 | 0.8 g (3%) | 47 mg (4%) | 1.89 mg (10%) | 55 mg (1%) | 0.0 mg (0%) | 1 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Rosemary, dried (171333) | 1 tbsp, 3.3 g | 11 | 1.4 g (5%) | 42 mg (3%) | 0.97 mg (5%) | 32 mg (1%) | 2.0 mg (2%) | 5 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Marjoram, dried (170928) | 1 tbsp, 1.7 g | 5 | 0.7 g (2%) | 34 mg (3%) | 1.41 mg (8%) | 26 mg (1%) | 0.9 mg (1%) | 7 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Sage, ground (170935) | 1 tbsp, 2 g | 6 | 0.8 g (3%) | 33 mg (3%) | 0.56 mg (3%) | 21 mg (0%) | 0.6 mg (1%) | 6 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Spearmint, dried (172239) | 1 tbsp, 1.6 g | 5 | 0.5 g (2%) | 24 mg (2%) | 1.40 mg (8%) | 31 mg (1%) | 0.0 mg (0%) | 8 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Coriander leaf, dried (170921) | 1 tbsp, 1.8 g | 5 | 0.2 g (1%) | 22 mg (2%) | 0.76 mg (4%) | 80 mg (2%) | 10.2 mg (11%) | 5 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Tarragon, dried leaves (170937) | 1 tbsp, 1.8 g | 5 | 0.1 g (0%) | 21 mg (2%) | 0.58 mg (3%) | 54 mg (1%) | 0.9 mg (1%) | 4 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Parsley, dried (170930) | 1 tbsp, 1.6 g | 5 | 0.4 g (2%) | 18 mg (1%) | 0.35 mg (2%) | 43 mg (1%) | 2.0 mg (2%) | 2 mcg RAE (0%) |
A tablespoon of a dried herb weighs only a few grams, so every row lists 11 calories or fewer in USDA data, and the largest calcium figure, about 55 milligrams for dried dill, is 4% of the FDA Daily Value. Seasoning blends and salted herb mixes differ, and the Nutrition Facts label is the figure for a packaged product.
For the seed side of the spice shelf, our guide to types of mustard covers the mustard plants and the condiment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main types of culinary herbs?
Colorado State University Extension says many popular herbs belong to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and the carrot family (Apiaceae), and it lists tarragon in the sunflower family.
What is the difference between herbs and spices?
University of Illinois Extension describes herbs as leaves of plants grown in the temperate zone, and spices as roots, bark, buds, berries or fruits of aromatic plants usually grown in the tropics; FDA’s label rule still counts herbs such as oregano and thyme as spices.
Which kitchen herbs are perennials?
Virginia Cooperative Extension lists chives, mints, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme as perennials, and Washington State University Extension says parsley is a biennial.
How much stronger are dried herbs than fresh?
Colorado State University Extension says the flavor of dried herbs is about three to four times stronger than fresh herbs.
Which fresh herb lists the most vitamin C in USDA data?
Fresh thyme lists about 160.1 milligrams per 100 grams in USDA SR Legacy, followed by fresh parsley at about 133.0 milligrams, against an FDA Daily Value of 90 milligrams.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Types of Mustard: Yellow, Brown and Oriental Plants and the Condiment, Basil: Sweet Basil Nutrition, Fresh vs Dried and Safety, Parsley: Benefits, USDA Nutrition and Curly vs Flat Leaf, Mint: Mint Leaves Nutrition and Spearmint vs Peppermint.