Forget Thyme: This Aromatic Herb Is A Gorgeous Alternative For Container Gardens

If you have a kitchen herb container garden, it's likely you have pots containing common types of herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, and sage so they're readily available when you're preparing food. If you're someone who loves Mexican food, you may be familiar with herbs used in its cuisine and have containers with cilantro, Mexican oregano, and even epazote. But there's one herb that's common throughout Central America and parts of South America that makes an excellent and unique option for container gardens: Hierba santa.

Hierba santa means holy herb, and is a Mexican grocery store item you likely won't find in a typical U.S. supermarket. Sometimes known as hoja santa, Mexican pepperleaf, and root beer plant, it can be used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Its scientific name is piper auritum; auritus being Latin for "with ears" or "having large ears," in reference to the shape of the plant's leaves, which look like a giant ear or heart shape. Hierba santa grows with rhizomes rather than pollination, meaning its roots send out shoots to reproduce. The plant's essential oils have a high concentration of safrole, the component that flavors both root beer and sassafras. This herb's unusual flavor is often compared to licorice, mint, anise, tarragon, and eucalyptus. You'll find hierba santa in Mexican dishes like Oaxacan mole verde, as a wrapping for tamales (one of world's oldest recipes), in soups like pozole, in chocolate drinks, sliced in eggs, and even to make a bright green-hued liqueur called Verdín.

In its ultimate habitat in the habitat zones 8-11, hierba santa grows in a shrub and can get up to 20 feet high. However, in places like Hawaii, Florida, and other warm parts of the U.S., it is considered to be invasive, therefore container gardens are the only safe way to grow this perennial in these areas. If it is being grown in zones 8 and 9, the plant will die back in the colder months and reappear in the spring. It also grows well indoors, where it can overwinter until warmer weather or stay indoors year-round. 

Hierba santa likes moderate morning sun rather than direct sunlight or shade, though it will still grow in those conditions. It is a plant that thrives in well-draining soil that is kept evenly moist but not over-watered. It's also worth noting that safrole, the oil that gives root beer its unique flavor, was banned for use in food and cosmetic use by the FDA in 1960 because when consumed in high doses, it has a low level of toxicity. But in moderation, hierba santa can be a delicious addition to your kitchen container garden. You can chop up the leaves and add them to soups, salsas, moles, and eggs, and other Mexican dishes.