# What herb is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 13, 2007, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566 "2007-10-13T07:46:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566/21 "2007-10-16T05:49:03Z")
The first thing I thought of when I saw it was that it reminds me of mint, or maybe [lemon](http://herbgardening.com/growingbalmlemon.htm) [balm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_balm). This [article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha) lists many of the mint family, maybe your friend’s plant is on there? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566/22 "2007-10-16T06:33:11Z")
[QUOTE=elelle] It really looks like a mint or basil to me, not any sort of salvia/sage. The budding inflorescence is more like basil/mint. Perhaps [Thai basil](http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/799/25094312.JPG), or a [purple flowering mint](http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/pictures/ment_14.jpg). A smell test will tell the difference. The mint will have a definite, umm, minty aroma, and the basil will also be quite aromatic, Thai basil having some camphory tones in it. [/QUOTE] I would say it looks a hell of a lot like Thai basil (I used to grow some), but I wouldn’t be able to tell 100% without rubbing it on my fingers and smelling it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566/23 "2007-10-16T06:34:23Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] The first thing I thought of when I saw it was that it reminds me of mint, or maybe [lemon](http://herbgardening.com/growingbalmlemon.htm) [balm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_balm). This [article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha) lists many of the mint family, maybe your friend’s plant is on there? [/QUOTE] No, lemon balm doesn’t have leaves like that. They’re bumpy, [like this](http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/pictures/meli_07.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566/24 "2007-10-16T07:58:23Z")
The three-lobed leaf (note the two small lobes on each side of the petiole) excludes any mint or basil. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566/25 "2007-10-16T08:16:54Z")
See also here: [http://images.google.ch/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:fr:official&channel=s&hl=fr&q=salvia%20verticillata&lr=lang\_en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi](http://images.google.ch/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:fr:official&channel=s&hl=fr&q=salvia%20verticillata&lr=lang_en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi) or search Google “Salvia verticillata”, then “images” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566/26 "2007-10-16T17:17:51Z")
[QUOTE=Gymnopithys] The three-lobed leaf (note the two small lobes on each side of the petiole) excludes any mint or basil. [/QUOTE] Nice catch. I didn’t even see that. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566/27 "2007-10-16T19:25:57Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Perhaps I’m the only one who saw that picture and thought of _The Riders Of The Purple Sage._ [/QUOTE] Every time I see the thread title the first few bars of “Greensleeves”/“What Child Is This?” goes though my head. "What herb is this dum _dum_ dum dum… " ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566/28 "2007-10-16T21:23:38Z")
Gymnopithys, the leaves on the OP’s [photo](http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4003/herbal8.jpg) don’t look at all like the leaves on salvia verticillata to me. For comparison, here are [two](http://www.brooksideperennials.ca/images/purplerain.jpg)[photos](http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/815/50019779.JPG) from your linked page. The salvia’s leaves are more shield-shaped, with a ruffled edge. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-this/422566.md?page=1)