How to Grow Costmary

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita)
  2. Soil & Growing Conditions
  3. Growth Stages
  4. Quick Facts
  5. At a Glance
  6. Harvest & Storage
  7. Diseases
  8. Pests
  9. Plan your Costmary planting
  10. Growing Costmary in another region
  11. Sources
  12. Frequently Asked Questions

Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) — Woody-based, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial (RHS.

Unlike an annual crop, the work here is front-loaded into establishment: get the planting and the site right and the same plants crop for several seasons.

The short answer

Site
2+ hours of sun, soil pH 5.5–7.5
Biggest risk
Southern blight

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita)

Costmary flowers with yellow centres and white rays — “Tanacetum balsamita 02” by Kor!An (Андрей Корзун) is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

3 sources cited · Verified

Soil & Growing Conditions

Costmary growing as a spreading herb bed — “Costmary Getty Villa” by Downtowngal is licensed under CC0.
“Costmary Getty Villa” by Downtowngal is licensed under CC0.

Water: Tolerates moist to occasionally dry soil (NC State Extension)

Soil pH range

5.5 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Costmary's oblong grey-green leaves — “Frauenminze April 2012” by 4028mdk09 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
“Frauenminze April 2012” by 4028mdk09 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Establishment 0 Propagate by division or by semi-hardwood/root/stem cuttings rather than seed, which germinates poorly (RHS; NC State Extension). Space new plants 3-6ft apart to allow for its spreading, rhizomatous habit (NC State Extension).
Vegetative growth 3 Grows readily in full sun or partial shade in any reasonably well-drained soil; shade produces mostly leaves with little flowering. Growth is rapid and can become aggressive if not managed (NC State Extension). Takes 2-5 years to reach full maturity (RHS).
Flowering 6 Small, yellow, daisy-like button flowers appear in loose corymbs from September to October (RHS; NC State Extension).
Cutting back and harvest 8 Fresh leaves can be picked for culinary use throughout the growing season. Cut the whole plant back after flowering to prevent legginess and encourage fresh new foliage (RHS; NC State Extension).

Quick Facts

Costmary flowers with yellow centres and white rays — “Tanacetum balsamita 02” by Kor!An (Андрей Корзун) is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
“Tanacetum balsamita 02” by Kor!An (Андрей Корзун) is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Factor Value
Soil pH 5.5 - 7.5
Sunlight 2-6 hours direct sun
Soil texture Clay, loam or sand (RHS; NC State Extension)
Drainage Good drainage preferred; tolerates moist to occasionally dry conditions (NC State Extension)
Lifecycle Woody-based, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial (RHS; NC State Extension)
Edible parts leaves

At a Glance

An information card describing costmary, also known as bible leaf — “Marienblatt” by Schubbay is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Marienblatt” by Schubbay is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tanacetum balsamita Costmary Southern blight Leaf and bud eelworms Leaf miners Aphids DISEASES PESTS

Harvest & Storage

Close-up of costmary leaves — “Tanacetum balsamita 2” by Alpyan is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Tanacetum balsamita 2” by Alpyan is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to pick: Fresh leaves can be picked through the growing season to flavour salads, soups and meats, or to make tea (NC State Extension). Cut back after flowering to keep the plant tidy and encourage fresh foliage (RHS).

Diseases

Southern blight
low

Sclerotium rolfsii

NC State Extension notes occasional susceptibility to Southern blight, though otherwise describes costmary as largely free of serious disease problems.

Pests

Leaf and bud eelworms
low

Aphelenchoides spp.

RHS names leaf and bud eelworms directly as an occasional pest.

Leaf miners
low

Agromyzidae

RHS names leaf-mining flies as an occasional pest.

low

Aphididae (various spp.)

RHS names aphids as an occasional pest on its costmary plant page.

Plan your Costmary planting

Timing for Costmary follows soil temperature and frost, not the calendar date. The Global vegetable planting calendar explains the method. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Costmary in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

  1. PFAF entry for Tanacetum balsamita. Fetched and parsed directly for the USDA hardiness rating.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 3 sources behind this guide (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Plants For A Future (PFAF), Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to costmary; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What soil pH does costmary need?

A pH of about 5.5–7.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect costmary?

Our data links 1 disease and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

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Last verified 2026-09-03

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