Culinary herbs is a broad and diverse category of plants that includes many different families of plants that grow in many different ways. Most culinary herbs are herbaceous and fragrant green leaves that people use in small amounts to flavor their food. Many of these plants also have medicinal uses and are consumed as teas or made into tinctures or even smudge sticks. Many herbs that are technically perennials in cooler climates are grown as annuals here, like lavender, lemon verbena and thyme.