Sunlight decides how flavourful your herbs are. Herbs grown in full sun produce more essential oils — the compounds that give them their scent and taste — than the same herbs grown in shade, and the difference is something you can taste. A rosemary plant in full sun is intensely fragrant; the same plant in shade is soft, pale and weak-flavoured. A basil plant in full sun is bushy and productive; in shade it is leggy and sparse.
Most herbs want at least six hours of direct sun a day, and the Mediterranean herbs want as much as you can give them. But a few herbs tolerate shade, and in hot climates even sun-lovers appreciate a little afternoon shade. This guide covers which herbs need full sun, which accept part shade, and how to measure and manage light in the garden and on a windowsill. Our sunlight calculator can help you work out how much sun each spot receives, and if you are unsure about light in your garden, check your local extension service for advice.
Full-sun herbs: the Mediterranean group
Mediterranean herbs are the sun-lovers. Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender and marjoram all come from sunny, dry, rocky hillsides, and they want six to eight hours of direct sun a day, or more. In full sun they grow compact and sturdy, with small, tough leaves that are rich in essential oils. In shade they grow tall and soft, with large pale leaves and little flavour, and they are more prone to mildew and root rot, because the soil stays damp and the leaves stay wet.
Give these herbs the sunniest spot you have — a south-facing bed, a sunny patio, or a south-facing windowsill. In very hot climates, a little afternoon shade will not hurt them, and it can help by keeping the soil from drying out completely, but they should still get morning sun and several hours of direct light. Do not plant them under trees, against a north-facing wall, or in the shadow of a fence: a Mediterranean herb in shade is a wasted plant. For timing and placement, see zone 5 basil and zone 7 basil for how sun and season interact in your area.
Herbs that tolerate part shade
Soft, leafy herbs are more tolerant of shade. Parsley, chives, mint and cilantro will all grow with four to six hours of direct sun, and in hot climates they often prefer it — afternoon shade keeps them cooler, slows bolting, and keeps the leaves tender. Cilantro in particular bolts quickly in hot sun, and a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade will keep it productive weeks longer than a spot in full sun all day. Chamomile and lemon balm also tolerate part shade, though lemon balm will spread happily in shade and should be kept in a pot.
Basil is in between: it wants full sun, six to eight hours, and it grows best in the sunniest spot, but it will still produce with five to six hours, especially in a warm climate. Dill wants full sun but tolerates a little shade. The practical point is that the shadier spots in your garden — the bed that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, the patio that is sunny until mid-afternoon — are best used for the soft herbs, while the sunniest beds are reserved for the Mediterranean herbs and for basil.
Herbs that struggle in shade
No herb grows well in full shade, and the Mediterranean herbs fail fastest. Rosemary, lavender and thyme in a shaded bed will grow leggy, drop their lower leaves, and rot over winter, because the soil never dries out. Sage and oregano do little better. Basil in shade grows tall and thin, with few leaves and little flavour, and it is far more prone to disease. Even the shade-tolerant herbs — parsley, mint and chives — need at least three to four hours of direct sun to grow well; with less than that, they grow slowly, stay small, and are more prone to slugs and mildew.
If your garden is mostly shaded, grow herbs in containers that can be moved to follow the sun, and choose the most shade-tolerant herbs: parsley, chives, mint and cilantro. Use reflective surfaces — a pale wall behind the pots bounces useful light back onto the plants — and prune overhanging branches to let more light through. And be realistic: a garden that gets less than three hours of direct sun is not a herb garden, however much you want it to be, and your herbs will do better in pots on the sunniest windowsill you have.
Measuring sunlight in your garden and home
Watch your garden through a day before you plant. Note when each bed comes into sun and when it goes into shade, and check again in a different season, because the sun's path changes and a bed that is sunny in June may be shaded by a tree in September. Take photos at 9 am, noon and 3 pm so you have a record. Our sunlight calculator can help you turn those observations into a plan. Indoors, the same applies: a south-facing windowsill gives the most light, east- and west-facing sills give enough for chives, parsley and mint, and a north-facing sill is too dark for almost every herb.
Signs of too little light are easy to read: the plant leans hard towards the window or the sun, it grows tall and thin with wide gaps between the leaves, the leaves are pale, and it produces few leaves. Signs of too much sun are scorched leaf edges, wilting in the afternoon even in moist soil, and a plant that dries out within hours. Indoors, turn pots a quarter turn every few days so the plant grows evenly, and in winter consider a grow light — our grow light calculator can help you work out what you need.
Managing too much sun and heat
In very hot climates, even sun-loving herbs can suffer. Basil wilts in the afternoon heat, cilantro bolts within days, and parsley goes tough and bitter. Afternoon shade is the answer: plant soft herbs where tall crops or a fence will shade them after midday, or drape shade cloth over the bed on the hottest afternoons. Mulch the soil to keep it cool and moist — our guide to mulch types explains the options — and water deeply in the morning so the plants face the heat with full roots. A pale gravel mulch around Mediterranean herbs reflects light and heat up into the plant without holding moisture against the crown.
Do not move a herb that is struggling in heat into deep shade — it will go from one problem to another. A little afternoon shade, steady water, and mulch are enough. And choose heat-tolerant varieties where they exist: some basils cope with heat better than others, and oregano and rosemary are naturally heat-tolerant. If you are unsure which varieties suit your climate, check your local extension service for their recommendations.
Common mistakes
The most common sunlight mistake is planting Mediterranean herbs in shade and wondering why they are leggy, flavourless and short-lived. The second is putting cilantro and parsley in the hottest, sunniest spot in midsummer, where they bolt or turn bitter within days. The third is growing herbs on a north-facing windowsill indoors and expecting them to thrive. The fourth is forgetting that shade moves through the year — a bed sunny in May can be shaded by a tree in July. And the fifth is judging sun by feel rather than observation: a bright-looking garden can still be shaded for most of the morning, and the only way to know is to watch it through a day.
| Herb | Sun needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, lavender | 6–8+ hours, full sun | Sunniest spot; shade makes them leggy and flavourless |
| Basil | 6–8 hours | Full sun best; tolerates 5–6 hours in warm climates |
| Dill | 6+ hours | Full sun; tolerates light shade |
| Parsley, chives, mint | 4–6 hours | Tolerate part shade; afternoon shade helps in heat |
| Cilantro | 4–6 hours | Morning sun and afternoon shade slows bolting |
| Chamomile | 4–6 hours | Tolerates part shade |
Frequently asked questions
How many hours of sun do herbs need?
Most herbs need at least six hours of direct sun a day. Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lavender want six to eight hours or more, while parsley, chives, mint and cilantro will grow with four to six hours and often prefer a little afternoon shade in hot climates.
Can herbs grow in shade?
No herb grows well in full shade, but parsley, chives, mint and cilantro tolerate part shade with four to six hours of sun. Rosemary, lavender and thyme fail in shade — they grow leggy, flavourless and rot over winter.
What herbs grow best in a sunny windowsill?
Basil, rosemary, thyme and sage do best on a south-facing sill, where they get the most light. Chives, parsley and mint will grow on an east- or west-facing sill, but a north-facing sill is too dark for almost every herb.
Why is my basil leggy indoors?
Leggy basil is almost always short of light — it is stretching towards the window. Move it to the sunniest sill you have, turn the pot every few days, pinch the tips, and consider a grow light in winter.
Do herbs need afternoon shade in hot climates?
Soft herbs such as cilantro and parsley benefit from afternoon shade in hot weather, because it slows bolting and keeps leaves tender. Mediterranean herbs can take full sun, but a little afternoon shade will not hurt them and helps keep the soil from drying out.