The illustrated growing guide
Horehound
Marrubium vulgare
Family Lamiaceae
Est. zones 3-9
The classic cough-drop herb — bitter, aromatic, silver-wooly leaves that make old-fashioned horehound candy, cough syrup, and a digestive bitter tonic tea. It's tough as nails, thriving on hot, dry, poor soil where little else will, with silvery foliage and bee-friendly flowers. It self-sows freely (deadhead to contain it). A historic, useful medicinal for a sunny corner of the herb garden.
Full Sun
Drought-tolerant · low water
Moderate growth
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will horehound suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what horehound actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-9Horehound at a glance
Common horehound problems
- Almost none — pest-repellent
- deer-proof
- Almost none
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow horehound: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate horehound
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The year
What horehound asks for, month by month.
The horehound year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The horehound year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun bloom
- Jul bloom
- Aug bloom
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Horehound in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
What horehound is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenSafe as the traditional candy/tea in moderation; very bitter
Harvesting & storing horehound
Bitter aromatic leaves — the classic horehound cough-drop/candy herb, and a bitter tonic tea.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of horehound, ruled as a catalogue.
Best horehound varieties & cultivars
Species; 'Pompon' (ornamental whorls)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to horehoundyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Horehound questions, answered straight.
Is horehound safe for kids and pets?
Horehound is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: Safe as the traditional candy/tea in moderation; very bitter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest horehound?
Bitter aromatic leaves — the classic horehound cough-drop/candy herb, and a bitter tonic tea.
How do you propagate horehound?
Division or seed.
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Elsewhere
Where horehound sits in the library.
Comfrey
Lavender
Rosemary
Anise Hyssop