There are so many plants that look like dill such as tarragon and thyme, and you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for in this article. What herbs that look like dill can you grow instead of dills? What are common dill varieties to try? Continue reading to discover the answers to all of these questions and more.
| Plant | Important Characteristics |
| Tarragon | Perennial herb that will give you a lot of leaves for several years |
| Thyme | Can be cultivated for its seeds and leaves |
| Marjoram | Also makes for an ornamental plant that can beautify your windowsill |
| Chervil | Easy to grow, hardy and have a lot of uses |
| Parsley | Very popular herb; easy to grow with the right conditions |
| Cumin | Seeds are widely added to seasoning powders and used to cook a lot of dishes |
| Summer Savory | Look like dills but are actually shrubs with narrow leaves |
Contents
Plants Similar to Dill (Anethum Graveolens)
Dills are common herbs mostly used in cooking but can also be planted as ornamental plants. There are a lot of herbs and weeds that look like dills, so you have a lot of choices with regard to the type of plant that you want to grow.
What is a type of herb or wild plant that looks like dill? Here are some examples along with their respective care requirements:
– Tarragon (Artemisia Dracunculus)
Tarragons are popular among lovers of French cuisine. These herbs can enhance the flavor and taste of chicken and other types of meat. It is a perennial herb that will give you a lot of leaves for several years.
- Suitable USDA hardiness zones: Many tarragon varieties grow best in zone 5, but they can tolerate zone 4b with proper winter protection.
- Uses: Tarragons are mostly used in cooking as they are herbs with intense taste and flavor.
- Light requirements: These herbs can tolerate low light, but they grow best in full sunlight. Plant your tarragons where they can receive at least four hours of direct sunlight.
- Water requirements: Water your herbs regularly during spring and summer. Do not wait until the soil is dry before you water the herbs.
- Nutrient requirements: You can grow your tarragons in sand-rich soil considerably low in moisture. Use foliar fertilizer on the leaves of your plants.
- Varieties: There are two varieties of Tarragons. French tarragons have a more intense flavor, while Russian tarragons are hardier.
- Harvesting: You can harvest the leaves of your tarragons from May to October.
You can also make healthy dishes using young tarragon leaves.
– Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris)
Who does not know this rich-flavored herb? Thyme can be cultivated for its seeds and leaves. The sweet taste of thyme leaves enhances the taste of food prepared with it.
- Suitable USDA hardiness zones: Depending on the variety, you can grow thyme in USDA hardiness zones 5-9.
- Light requirements: Thyme herbs need full sunlight. For indoor-grown thymes, you should keep the pots on a windowsill.
- Water requirements: Thyme barely needs regular watering, especially when the soil is not dry. Water your thyme before the soil becomes dry, especially during the summer months.
- Nutrient requirements: Thyme grows best in nutrient-poor soil. You can use a potash-rich fertilizer during spring to boost the soil potassium content.
- Varieties: Popular thyme varieties include common thyme, archer’s gold, golden king, red carpet and pink chintz.
- Harvesting: You can harvest your herbs year-round. Take note that the flavor is strongest during summer.
Remember that thyme loves alkaline soil, so you should add some potash to the soil yearly.
– Marjoram (Origanum Majorana)
This beautiful herb also makes for an ornamental plant that beautifies your windowsill. Its wild dill plant-like appearance and use make it suitable for use in various types of dishes.
- Suitable USDA hardiness zones: Marjorams grow best in zones 9-10. They are not cold-hardy.
- Uses: While it is mostly used as an herb in cooking, it is also a popular garden border plant as it helps to repel a lot of pests from the garden.
- Light requirements: They need a lot of sunlight but can tolerate partial shade. Expose the herbs to four or more hours of daily sunlight.
- Water requirements: Water the herbs regularly, but do not overwater. Water your marjorams daily during summer.
- Nutrient requirements: You can grow this herb in nutrient-depleted soil. Give them granular slow-release fertilizer early in the growing season to aid their growth.
- Harvesting: Cut the leaves throughout the growing season. Do not harvest leaves during winter.
- Pests: Some pests that marjorams cannot repel are aphids, rabbits and harmful microbes.
Did you know that marjorams represent joy and happiness?
– Chervil (Anthriscus Cerefolium)
If you are finding it difficult to grow your herbs because you lack space with sufficient light, you should grow chervils. Chervils are easy to grow as they are hardy. They also have a lot of uses and can be utilized in so many types of foods.
- Suitable USDA hardiness zones: Many chervil varieties tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Chervils can grow in USDA zones 3-10.
- Light requirements: Chervils can grow in a room with low light. Make sure that your chervils receive at least four hours of light every day.
- Water requirements: Keep your chervil soil uniformly moist but not waterlogged. Water your plants before the soil dries up. You can mist water droplets on your chervil leaves.
- Nutrient requirements: As a plant with a short lifespan, you should plant your chervils in nutrient-rich soil. They do not require any extra fertilizer.
- Harvesting: Your plants should be ready for harvest in 40 days. Use a knife to collect the leaves from the stem.
- Varieties: Some chervil varieties that you can grow are Brussels winter, common, crispum and vertissimo.
- Pests: Aphids, snails, slugs and harmful microbes can attack your chervils. You can repel pests using pesticides.
What dish will you cook with your chervils?
– Parsley (Petroselinum Crispum)
Parsley is a very popular herb. It’s near impossible to not have eaten a dish flavored with parsley before. Parsleys do not just look like dill plants; they also have similar uses.
- Suitable USDA hardiness zones: You can grow parsleys if you live in USDA zones 4 through 9.
- Uses: The most common use for parsleys is in cooking meals with intense flavors. They are also planted as ornamental plants in windowsills.
- Light requirements: Unlike other types of herbs, parsleys need a lot of sunlight. You should grow your parsleys in south-facing windowsills where there is sufficient sunlight for them. Your plants will grow stronger and healthier when they receive around six hours of daily sunlight.
- Water requirements: Parsleys love moist soil or potting mix. You should grow your parsleys where the humidity is higher than average. Water your plants by misting to keep their leaves fresh.
- Nutrient requirements: You should feed your parsleys with half-strength fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season. Grow them in nutrient-rich soil.
- Collecting Leaves: You can collect your parsley leaves throughout the growing season. Collect both old and new leaves.
- Repotting: For indoor parsleys, you should repot them into larger pots if you want more plants. If you are comfortable with the current size of your herbs, you should prune your plants regularly.
- Pests: Pests such as leafminers, cutworms, beetles, cabbage loopers and armyworms can affect your parsleys.
Growing parsley is not complicated so long as you give them the right conditions to thrive.
– Cumin (Cuminum Cyminum)
Cumin is a special herb from Asia. The seeds are widely added to curry powder and used to cook a lot of dishes. Cumin seeds look similar to dill seeds and are used to give dishes a special taste and flavor.
- Suitable USDA hardiness zones: To grow cumins as perennial plants, they need at least four hot and sunny months. You can grow cumin if you live in USDA hardiness zones 5-10.
- Light requirements: You should grow cumin plants in a sunny area. The plants should receive more than six hours of daily sunlight.
- Water requirements: You should water your cumin plants occasionally. Water your herbs when the potting mix or soil is almost dry.
- Nutrient requirements: You do not need to fertilize your cumin if the potting mix is nutritious. Simply mulch the herbs with organic mulch.
- Harvesting: You can harvest the seeds of your herbs after 120 days of planting.
- Pests: Cumins can be attacked by cigarette beetles, nematodes, cutworms and other pests.
You can easily get cumin seeds from an herb shop near you, or you can also buy them online.
– Summer Savory (Satureja Hortensis)
Summer savories look like dills but are actually shrubs with narrow leaves. This dill looking plant is native to the Eastern Mediterranean region and is hardy when grown at the right temperature.
- Suitable USDA hardiness zones: Summer savories are highly adaptable and can grow in almost every region. If you live in USDA hardiness zones 6-8, you can grow it as a perennial. You can grow it as an annual in other regions.
- Light requirements: These plants need as much sunlight as they can have. Grow your summer savories where they can have more than five hours of daily sunlight.
- Water requirements: Water your summer savories in well-drained soil. Do not overwater the plants.
- Nutrient requirements: You do not need to give extra nutrients to your summer savories if the soil is rich. You can give them an all-purpose fertilizer if you want to.
- Pruning: Pinch back your herb stems to encourage bushy growth.
- Pests: Aphids are the most common pests of summer savories.
Now that you know these many plants that are similar to dill, which plant will you decide to grow?
Common Dill Varieties
If you really enjoy growing dills, then you don’t have to grow a different plant. Maybe what you need is another variety of dill to grow. Some varieties of dill that you can grow in your garden include:
- Delikat: This dill variety produces heavy and dense foliage. It also produces a heavy seed yield when compared to other varieties. It can grow up to 10-24 inches tall and can be harvested after 40 days of planting.
- Bouquet: This is a beautiful variety that is used a lot in bouquets. It is an ornamental variety but can also be used to make tea. You can harvest this variety after 60 days of planting.
- Compatto: A variety with an aromatic scent and taste. It can grow up to 12-18 inches tall when it is mature. One special feature of this variety is that it is drought-tolerant. You can harvest the leaves in 40-50 days.
- Dukat: Also known as ‘Tetra,’ this variety is a Danish one. It has an intense flavor, but it grows slowly when compared to other varieties. While you can harvest the leaves in 50 days, you have to wait for 100 days before you can harvest its seeds.
- Elephant: This beautiful variety with dark leaves is slow to bolt. You can harvest the leaves in 90 days but may have to wait up to 140 days to harvest the seeds. This is a very large variety that can grow more than 48 inches tall.
- Fernleaf: This variety has won the All-America Selections award in the year 1992. The leaves appear like fern and can be used in bouquets. Aside from its use as an ornamental plant, it can also be used as an herb. You can harvest the leaves 60 days after planting.
- Greensleeves: This variety has a strong scent, dark green leaves, and a mild flavor. It can grow up to 30 inches tall and its leaves are ready for harvest in 45 days. You may have to wait up to 100 days to harvest the seeds, however.
- Hera: The leaves of this beautiful variety are dark green but can also be bluish. It can grow up to 18 inches tall. The fragrant leaves can be harvested in 60 days and the seeds in 110 days.
- Herkules: Also called ‘Hercules,’ this variety can grow up to 36 inches tall and has branching leaves. Older leaves tend to lose their flavor, so you may have to harvest old leaves while waiting for new ones to grow. The seeds can be harvested in 100 days.
- Mammoth: This special variety is also called ‘Mammoth Long Island’ or ‘Long Island.’ It is a large variety that can grow up to 72 inches tall. The large leaves make a very sweet flavor for fish. The leaves grow quickly and you can harvest them in just 65 days.
Conclusion
Dill is a common herb people grow all over the world. If you don’t want to grow dill, there are other plants that you can try. Whatever plant you decide to grow, always remember the following important points from the article above:
- When selecting the right herb to grow, remember to research the appropriate environmental conditions to grow that herb.
- Dills have a lot of varieties to choose from, so you do not need to grow another type of plant if all you needed was a different variety.
- Some wild plants look like dill, so you should be careful that you do not harvest a weed that looks like dill.
- Make sure that you pay close attention to the lighting and watering needs of your herbs if you want them to produce intense flavors.
- Note that if you do not grow a perennial herb in the right USDA zone, it might die during winter and will become an annual in your zone.
After discovering these plants that look like dill and other dill varieties, which plant would you like to grow?
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