TANSY

Our Herb Garden at the Arboretum is full of culinary herbs commonly used in cooking, baking, and making teas.  You will find oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, lemon balm, and chives to name a few.  However, you will also find some more unusual ones like tansy, Tanacetum vulgare.  It is more ornamental than edible.  

Tansy (on left) in Herb Garden

Photo by M. Endres

 This excerpt is from NCSU fact sheet Tanacetum vulgare
 "Edible Parts: young leaves and flowers. HARVEST TIME: Only collect leaves and flowers from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Collect the young leaves in the spring, flowers in the summer. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Soak young leaves and flowers in warm water to remove dirt and debris. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. Use fresh as a substitute for sage. SOURCE: Crowhurst, A. 1972. The Weed Cookbook. Lancer Books, Inc. New York, 190 pp."

For more information about growing herbs, click here:

 

GROWING HERBS FOR THE HOME GARDEN