9 Plants for an Indoor Tea Garden

Looking for a new project while stuck at home? Try growing an indoor tea garden! Herbal tea helps with various issues such as boosting your immune system, lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and improving skin health. Tea ingredients can be easy to grow and maintain in containers and provide a great alternative to other beverages like coffee or pre-packaged teas. Below are some of the best flowers and herbs to grow to create the best indoor tea garden.

Chamomile

Chamomile is one of the easiest and most popular herbs to grow in your indoor tea garden. It only requires four hours of light per day and doesn’t grow incredibly high compared to other tea garden plants. Keep your chamomile near a south-facing window and make sure the soil is moist, but not over-watered. The flowers can be used to make a sweet-tasting chamomile tea, which is said to help with sleeplessness and anxiety. It does well when planted with rosemary, bee balm, phlox, or delphiniums.

Mint

Mint is great for dealing with nausea or digestive issues. There are tons of varieties to choose from, including peppermint, spearmint, apple mint, and Moroccan mint. All provide similar benefits, but it’s best to try a few and find the one with the flavor you prefer. Mint is perfect for indoor container gardening since it is known to be a pretty invasive plant. It does well in shade to moderate sun and should be planted in well-drained soil. Give it about two inches of water per week to keep it happy. Mint prefers to be kept pretty moist, but don’t overwater. Your mint may grow crooked toward sunlight, so rotate it every few days to keep it even.

Lavender

Lavender is typically used to help with issues such as headaches, anxiety, and sleeplessness. The best thing about Lavender is that it’s a perennial, which means it’s easy to grow and will come back in full each year. Plant your lavender in nutrient-rich soil that is well-drained. When choosing a pot, look for one that is made from a breathable material, like terra cotta. Allow for at least 6 hours of sunshine a day. You can harvest the lavender once you see the small blooms start to open. Lavender does well when planted with roses or echinacea, as they have similar watering and sunshine requirements.

Rosemary

Rosemary is often thought of as a savory herb, but it actually works really well in teas. It’s an easy plant to grow and would be a great addition to any indoor tea garden. Rosemary has antioxidants that are great for your immune system. It prefers full sun and can be harvested as soon as you see the foliage. Water your rosemary as soon as the top of the soil is dry, but never let the soil dry out completely. Rosemary does well when planted with chamomile or thyme.

Ginger

Ginger is the perfect addition to your indoor tea garden because it’s easy to grow, and has a wide variety of health benefits. It has been known to reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation, relieve nausea, and help with cold and flu symptoms. To start, look for a hearty ginger root that is smooth. Soak the entire root overnight, then about 2 to 5 inches apart in moist, well-drained soil. Cover with enough soil to ensure that the root is not visible. It does best in filtered sunlight, and somewhere that is warm and humid. To create a humid environment, mist your ginger plant every other day. Avoid over-watering your ginger, as it will cause it to rot.

Thyme

Thyme is another great herb to grow in your indoor herbal tea garden. It is part of the mint family and comes in hundreds of varieties. It can be a tough plant to grow from seeds, so buy a plant of it and propagate for the best results. Thyme can be harvested once it begins to flower. It will need plenty of sunlight and well-draining soil to thrive. Water regularly, letting the soil dry between waterings. If you’re tight on space, plant it alongside rosemary.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is also part of the mint family and makes a great addition to teas, plus it smells great in your home. It is said to help with sleeplessness and anxiety, and it’s incredibly easy to grow. Plant your lemon balm in well-drained soil and place it somewhere that will get at least five hours of sun with some shade during the day. If you see flowers forming, you should pinch them off, as they will affect the taste of your lemon balm leaves. Water regularly, but never let the soil get soggy. Your lemon balm is best left in its own container, as it can become very invasive through the spread of its seeds.

Lemon Verbena

When it comes to lemon-flavored herbs, lemon verbena is the most spot-on. Your lemon verbena will need bright, filtered light. Place it one to two feet from a sunny window for the best results. Lemon verbena can get pretty tall, so make sure to place it in a larger container than most other plants in your indoor tea garden. Provide it with well-draining soil. You should water your lemon verbena when the top 2 inches has dried. It can become a large plant if you aren’t careful, so make sure to prune it.

Rose Hips

The rosehip is the fruit of the rose plant, which can be used to make tea. Rose hips provide vitamin C and are said to help reduce inflammation. There are plenty of different varieties of roses to choose from when deciding on the roses that are right for your indoor tea garden. Yellow and pink roses tend to have the most flavor and fragrance. Your roses should be planted in well-drained soil in a large pot. Depending on your soil, you’ll need to water every day or every other day. Keep your roses near a south-facing window where they will receive six to eight hours of sunlight per day. If you cannot provide them with enough sunlight, consider using fluorescent lights instead. Before using for tea, cut off the white part of the petal, as it can cause a bitter taste.

Depending on your taste in tea, there are plenty more different herbs and flowers you can grow in your home for your very own indoor tea garden. These 9 herbs and flowers are a great start, though, to get you on your way to an herbal tea garden. If you are looking for more easy houseplants to take care of, check out our blog. For more tips on enjoying your home, sign up for our once-monthly blog newsletter.