In 1991, the International Herb Association established National Herb Week to be celebrated every year during the week prior to Mothers Day. The purpose of National Herb Week is to develop and coordinate national attention on herbs, herbal uses, herb businesses, and the IHA. And if that weren’t enough to whet your herbal appetites, every year since 1995, the International Herb Association has chosen an Herb of the Year™ to highlight.
Spearheaded by IHA’s Horticulture Committee, the group has established Herb of the Year™ selections up to this year, 2020, and all IHA members are invited to participate in the selection process. Long-standing member Chuck Voigt, who has been involved in the selection process for many years explains, The Horticultural Committee evaluates possible choices based on them being outstanding in at least two of the three major categories: medicinal, culinary, or decorative. Herb societies, groups, and organizations, from around the world, work together to educate the public about these important herbs throughout the year.
Is the suspense killing you yet? Well, the herb of the year for 2020 is (fragrant drum roll, please)… Rubus spp! What? Don’t know what a Rubus is? Well, you rubes, the genus Rubus includes Blackberry, Dewberry, and Raspberry, contains several species that differ sometimes only slightly, some of which are erect or arching shrubs that can grow up to 8 feet high and some come in vine like form that you can plant to grow up and around a trellis or fence, making them ripe for picking once the plants mature – typically in the second year. But beware! These suckers have a rather off putting nature, with bristly and sometimes thorny stems, so you might want to put on some gloves and a long-sleeved shirt if you plan to go pick some.
Another benefit to planting these berries – they attract butterflies – but bears, raccoons, deer and foxes do, too, so if you’re thinking about adding them to your herb garden, you may want to plant these in a mammal/pest-proof area.
—
Photo Credit: Elena Sherengovskaya / Shutterstock.com