Lavender, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme: profiles.
Compare the botanical identities, source-listed light and soil conditions, container evidence and local-calendar inputs for lavender, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme.
Choose the plant before choosing the quantity
These herbs are often grouped together for shopping, but species and cultivars differ in winter response, size and moisture conditions. Compare their individual entries before sharing a container or border. No medicinal, dietary or edible-identification claim is made.
The entries report the cited taxon’s growing conditions and descriptive dimensions. A mature width is separate from planting spacing; multiple light, moisture or life-cycle categories can reflect a genus, cultivar range or climate differences. Use the exact nursery label and local guidance to choose inputs. Soil categories describe the source record and supply no amendment recipe.
Lavender
Lavender: the cited botanical record is Lavandula. Species differ in winter response; the genus label does not select a locally hardy plant.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun, partial shade. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage, occasionally dry. Soil categories: loam (silt), sand, shallow rocky. Listed soil pH categories: Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 1 ft 0 in to 3 ft 0 in; width: 1 ft 0 in to 2 ft 0 in. Life cycle listed: perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Marjoram / Oregano
Marjoram / Oregano: the cited botanical record is Origanum. Sweet marjoram and oregano are distinct species or selections within the genus; their winter response is not interchangeable.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage, occasionally dry. Soil categories: sand. Listed soil pH categories: Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 0 ft 6 in to 3 ft 0 in; width: 1 ft 0 in to 2 ft 0 in. Life cycle listed: perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Rosemary
Rosemary: the cited botanical record is Salvia rosmarinus. Cultivars differ in cold response and upright or trailing habit; keep that selection visible.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage, moist, occasionally dry. Soil categories: high organic matter, loam (silt), shallow rocky. Listed soil pH categories: Acid (<6.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 4 ft 0 in to 5 ft 0 in; width: 3 ft 0 in to 4 ft 0 in. Life cycle listed: woody. Flowering season in the reference region: spring, summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Sage
Sage: the cited botanical record is Salvia officinalis. Garden sage is the example; ornamental salvias belong to different species and hybrids.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun, partial shade. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage, occasionally dry. Soil categories: loam (silt), sand, shallow rocky. Listed soil pH categories: Neutral (6.0-8.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 1 ft 0 in to 2 ft 0 in; width: 2 ft 0 in to 3 ft 0 in. Life cycle listed: perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Source: NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Salvia officinalis
Tarragon
Tarragon: the cited botanical record is Artemisia dracunculus. French and other tarragon selections need their own nursery labels and regional care records.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage, very dry. Soil categories: high organic matter, loam (silt), sand. Listed soil pH categories: Neutral (6.0-8.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 1 ft 0 in to 3 ft 0 in; width: 1 ft 0 in to 1 ft 6 in. Life cycle listed: perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Source: NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Artemisia dracunculus
Thyme
Thyme: the cited botanical record is Thymus vulgaris. Common garden thyme is the example; creeping thyme and other species have separate habits.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage, moist, occasionally dry. Soil categories: loam (silt), sand, shallow rocky. Listed soil pH categories: Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 0 ft 6 in to 1 ft 0 in; width: 0 ft 6 in to 1 ft 4 in. Life cycle listed: perennial, woody. Flowering season in the reference region: spring, summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Check the container and watering record
Where container use is listed, confirm the exact cultivar’s intended pot, drainage and medium with the nursery. A garden plant’s descriptive width does not determine a pot diameter or root-volume requirement. For dwarf trees, keep the named rootstock or compact cultivar dimensions with that record.
Observe the medium and follow the selected plant’s care instructions. A source describing moist soil does not supply a weekly irrigation volume. Pot size, plant size, medium and exposure belong in the watering record. Calculate litres only after the selected pot’s remaining fill has been measured.
Build a local planting calendar
Record your location, the selected cultivar and whether the purchase is seed, dormant stock or an actively growing plant. Obtain the local sowing or transplanting window for that material from the regional extension service or nursery. Record that window separately from the flowering season shown in the reference. Frost exposure, soil workability and the crop form can make a month from another region unsuitable.
For mixed orders, keep separate rows for each selection, its planned date, supplied along-row and across-row spacing and replacements. A species-wide width or a hardiness-zone label is insufficient to choose all of those values. This plan uses nursery or local guidance and contains no pesticide or nutrient treatment.
Turn the selected plan into a plant and bag order
For an independent illustrative 2 m by 1 m bed, supplied margins of 0.25 m on all sides and supplied spacings of 0.5 m in each direction produce four positions by two positions: eight plants. These are arithmetic inputs, not recommended spacings for the plants above. If the approved selection is sold in four-plant packs, the order is two packs.
For a separate container order with three measured empty-fill requirements of 8 L each, the total is 24 L. One selected 40 L bag covers the stated volume before any separately supplied allowance. The Soil Calculator calculates litres; it does not choose the growing medium, the container or a load-bearing location.
Use the matching calculator
Use this decision sequence
- Identify the exact species, crop type and cultivar or rootstock.
- Check the relevant source and local nursery guidance for growing conditions and planting window.
- Record supplied plant spacings or the selected container’s measured fill.
- Calculate positions and whole purchase packs separately for each selection.
Keep the quantities distinct
| Quantity or assumption | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Botanical record | A named example or genus record, not identification of an unknown plant. |
| Mature width | Descriptive size, separate from the selected planting spacing. |
| Planting date | A local window for the actual seed, dormant stock or transplant. |
| Watering | A plant and medium care decision, not the bed’s geometric volume. |
Worked comparison
A supplied four-by-two position plan contains eight plants and needs two four-plant packs. A separate three-pot order with 8 L of measured empty fill per pot needs 24 L of the selected medium, covered by one 40 L bag before any separately selected allowance.
Check before using the estimate
Check the exact cultivar and local restrictions before ordering. No species-wide figure establishes container fit, edible identity, support strength or planting success.
All dimensions, product properties, prices and specifications in this example are illustrative arithmetic inputs. Use the values from your measured plan, selected product data sheet and supplier quote. This guide does not choose construction specifications or certify safety.
Sources and product references
- NC State Extension: Lavandula
- NC State Extension: Origanum
- NC State Extension: Salvia rosmarinus
- NC State Extension: Salvia officinalis
- NC State Extension: Artemisia dracunculus
- NC State Extension: Thymus vulgaris
References support the factual distinctions and scope described above. Growing guidance is regional and care instructions are product-specific. Worked numerical examples are independent illustrative arithmetic.
Calculation and scope checked 2026-10-13. Methods and scope.
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