Next up in our tour of houseplants for every room, we’re heading to the kitchen. The best part about keeping houseplants in the kitchen is that some, like herbs, can do double duty; they look good, and they add flavor to your recipes. Here are some of our favorite houseplants—edible or not!—for your kitchen.

Kitchen Counter Herb Garden

Even in the winter, we can grow fresh herbs from a kitchen counter garden in Fayetteville. Depending on the angle of your kitchen windows, you may need to supplement extra light for your herbs through the winter. If you have north-facing windows, you’ll need a grow light for part of the year. If you can place your herbs near a south-facing window, they’ll be much happier. East or west-facing windows will also work, but you still may need a grow light during the shorter days of the year.

Chives are some of the easiest, quickest herbs to grow. They’re prolific, low maintenance, and you can literally harvest the whole crop at once and they’ll still come back up. It’s easiest to start chives from an already established plant, so buy a pot of them or pull some up from your garden and transplant them into a container. They’re pretty tolerant of low light, so should do well near any window.

Mint is another prolific low-maintenance herb. Similar to chives, you can harvest quite a lot and it will still come back strong. Mint tends to get leggy if left to its own devices, so make sure you’re pinching it back and using it regularly to encourage your mint plants to grow bushier. Mint does like the sunshine, so keeping it near a south window is best.

Basil is a little bit more finicky than chives or mint, but it’s so worth the effort. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh basil in pasta, salads, or sandwiches. Basil needs good drainage, so make sure it has a pot with a hole and well-draining soil. It also likes plenty of sunshine, so a south-facing window or a grow light will help it thrive.

Non-Edible Kitchen Plants

Spider Plants plants are a classic kitchen houseplant. They’re tough and low-maintenance, and they add a dose of bright greenery to your kitchen. They’ll drape nicely from the tops of cupboards or the fridge. Spider plants prefer to dry out between waterings, so check to make sure the soil is dry before you water them.

Aloe Vera is another great kitchen plant if you’ve got a sunny south window. It’s handy to have close by in case of accidental burnt fingers, or sunburns. Similar to spider plants, Aloe likes to dry out between waterings. Aloe adds a warm, south-of-the-border vibe to the kitchen.

Plants add vibrancy, life, and energy to the hearts of our homes, and keeping a few herbs handy helps to elevate your dishes with fresh flavor. If you’re ready to add some fun houseplants—or a countertop herb garden!—to your kitchen, visit one of our garden center locations. We’ve got plenty of gorgeous houseplants and herbs to choose from, and we can give you plenty of care tips and advice for growing them successfully.