35 Healthy Edible Plants to Grow Indoors In Winter

Indoor growing areas allow you to cultivate tons of edible plants in a small space. Fresh greens and herbs are the two main types that are perfect for your home. Greens include leafy greens and tender, succulent perennials that sprout edible leaves, stems, and shoots. They’re quick growers, and most of them are frost-sensitive annuals. Sow them consecutively for neverending harvests! 

Microgreens

Microgreens are tiny seedlings that sprout in the soil. You cut them and eat them before they mature while they’re tender, young, and slightly crunchy. Any edible plant can be a microgreen. Some popular choices are broccoli, radish, and sunflower. 

Microgreen mixes are perfect if you’d like more than one type of seedling. Choose a spicy mix to add a flavorful punch to sandwiches and scrambled eggs. Consider growing milder seedlings like beets, spinach, and cabbage if you dislike strong spices. 

Sprouts

Sprouts are similar to microgreens, except they grow without soil and light! Using a seed sprouter on your kitchen counter, you can cultivate dozens of nutritious sprouts with little effort. Simply rinse the seeds two to three times daily, let them drain, and wait for them to grow. They’ll sprout in five to six days.

Like with microgreens, many different plants grow into sprouts. Choose a salad or sandwich mix for supreme variety, or select your favorite plant and use its seeds alone.

Lettuce

Lettuce is the ideal leafy green to grow inside your kitchen. Small cultivars tuck in easily inside small corners, thriving with bright indirect light and some direct sunlight for most of the day. Lettuce may grow leggy in low-light settings, so place your crop near a window or under some grow lights.

The best lettuce cultivars for indoor growing tolerate warmer temperatures, as our homes are often warmer than lettuce prefers. Avoid lettuce types that form heads, as they require outdoor conditions to grow well. Choose a type with leaves you can cut off individually like ‘Little Gem’ mini-romaine or ‘New Red Fire’ leaf lettuce. 

Swiss Chard

Adventurous green growers should experiment with Swiss chard. This leafy green sprouts tall, rippled leaves with bright red, orange, yellow, or white stems. It’s a close relative to beetroots, and the leaves taste similar to beetleaves.

Swiss chard prefers cool, moist conditions, common in fall and spring. Cultivate them in a cool room indoors or consider growing them outdoors in a greenhouse or cold frame. The ‘Five Color Silverbeet’ mix has chards with red, pink, orange, yellow, and white stems. Sprout them to find your favorite color! 

Spinach

Spinach falls into the dark green leafy category, which means it’s especially nutritious. Greens like spinach are rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, and full of antioxidants and carotenoids that boost your health.

Spinach grows quickly from seed, making it an ideal edible plant for indoor growing. Simply sow seeds in pots, place them under bright light, and wait for them to germinate. Harvest individual leaves once the seedlings have a few leaves on their stems that look sturdy. 

Mâche

Mâche, pronounced “mosh,” is a tender, tiny leaf-growing annual that loves cold weather. It’s ideal for bright rooms without heat or the outdoors in cool winter zones 4 through 7. It grows when not much else does, providing lush, delicious leaves for your enjoyment. Some growers call mâche corn salad for the way the leaves taste. 

This annual grows best from seeds. Start them in pots, keep the seedlings moist and not soggy, and grant them bright, filtered light. They’ll bolt to flower and produce seeds if temperatures are too warm, so be sure to grant them a cool location in your home. 

Kale

Kale is another cool weather lover that may thrive inside, so long as it doesn’t get too warm. Growers that live in zones 7 and up should grow kale outdoors during winter, but others in zones 7 and below may try a plant or two on their windowsill.

Kale needs cool, moist conditions to thrive. Place your seedlings away from heaters or strong fans, and grant them regular water so they’re consistently moist. Some direct sunlight during the day helps them stay green and vivid. 

Arugula

Spice lovers should try growing arugula! This lacy plant sprouts tender, edible foliage that adds a slightly spicy punch to salads, sautés, and sandwiches. You may see it in grocery stores under the name “rocket.” Arugula, like kale and mâche, requires a cool and moist environment to thrive; it’ll bolt if temperatures rise too high.

Plant arugula seeds in small pots near a bright window. If the seedlings grow leggy or weak, try to give them more light with a brighter window or some artificial grow lights. Harvest individual leaves once the plants grow well with more than four or five leaves. 

Bok Choy

Bok choy grows thicker, crunchier, and more flavorful than most edible plants. It’s a tasty biennial plant that hails from China, where it evolved alongside cabbages and mustard species. Bok choy forms thick, chard-like stems with tender leaves on their ends. The leaves curl up, forming tight bunches as the plant matures.

Another cool weather lover, bok choy dislikes the heat that’s common in our homes. Situate growing seedlings near a cool window, in a bright garage, or next to a door that frequently opens. Try a dwarf cultivar like ‘Baby Choi,’ as it needs less energy to mature than larger varieties.  

Mustard

Mustard may not be the first edible plant you think of growing, though it’s incredibly nutritious and perfect for a wide range of meals! Dozens of types exist, with spicy and mild cultivars offering unique flavors and textures. 

Try ‘Florida Broadleaf’ for a wide-leaved cultivar with superb flavor. The young greens go great in salads for fresh eating, and the mature ones cook like collard greens in prepared dishes. This type tolerates heat and drought, making it an excellent candidate for growing in your home. Grant it as much direct sunlight as possible to grow the healthiest specimen. 

Endive

Endive is a type of chicory, like escarole. It’s a leafy green that thrives in cool weather that’s common in fall and winter. These plants form large rosettes with lacy, leafy greens. They taste mild, working well in salad mixes with other flavorful greens. 

Endive forms a large head like lettuce, cabbage, or bok choy. Harvest individual leaves from the outside or cut down the entire plant once the head reaches six inches or wider. Endive is typically green, though the unique cultivar ‘Olesh Tres Fine’ exhibits creamy, white leaves in its center. 

Green Onions

Though onions are technically vegetables, green onions offer edible foliage like the other healthy plants on this list. They’re perfect for growing inside, as they require little water, nutrients, and light to perform well. Some chefs regrow green onions from the store after using them by placing the cut roots in water! 

Whether you’re starting these plants from seeds or cut starts, grant them regular water, bright light, and warm temperatures. Saving their seeds in summer saves you a trip to the garden store. Simply plant the green onions outdoors in the spring, let them flower and produce seeds, and collect the seeds for winter growing next year. 

Sorrel

This hardy perennial thrives outdoors from zones 3 through 7 or with summer protection in zone 8. Grow it in your home if you live in frigid winters common in zones 1 and 2. The sorrel will appreciate the protection, and you can transplant it outdoors in spring or summer to continue enjoying its leaves. 

Common sorrel is the ideal type to start growing, as it performs well in a wide range of conditions. Start seeds in small pots, let them sprout, then transplant mature seedlings into larger pots. When happy, sorrel can live many years in a deep container with well-drained soil.

Cress

Cress is a common seed in microgreens and sprout mixes. It’s a tender, leafy plant with succulent, slightly spicy leaves. Although it grows into an edible, adult plant, most growers choose to harvest the young, tasty seedlings. Mature leaves may grow tough and chewy instead of soft and crunchy.

Cress doesn’t need much light to grow, and you can sow successive crops every one to two weeks. Make successive sowings, and you’ll have a consistent supply of fresh, edible greens to eat throughout the cold months. 

Nasturtium

Nasturtiums are common summer annuals outdoors, where they spread and creep in between other garden vegetables. They’re perennials in warm zones, although they grow slow and less robust during the cool season. They form round, peppery-tasting leaves and edible flowers with spurs on their ends.

Choose bushy nasturtium types instead of trailing ones for indoor growing. Bushy types remain dense in their pots, while trailing ones ramble freely wherever they can. Nasturtiums need bright indirect light for most of the day, though they’ll tolerate some direct sunlight. My favorite type is ‘Alaska Variegated.’ It features round green leaves with patches of creamy white and flowers in shades of orange, red, and yellow.

Calendula

Calendula is another flowering edible annual with delicious petals, like nasturtiums. The yellow or orange blossoms are sweet, tasty, and colorful, adding bright charm to salads, charcuterie boards, and fresh meals. The leaves are edible, too, though they’re more bitter than the petals. Mix them with other sweet-tasting greens to mask the bitterness, or blend them in smoothies.

Calendula is a classic garden ornamental, though you can grow it in your home if you’d like! Start seeds in small containers with well-draining potting soil, granting them plenty of light and water. ‘Resina’ is great for growing inside, as it contains more resin in its petals than other cultivars. 

Viola

Few perennials make this list, though viola is a special one that everyone should try growing. It appreciates cool weather, meaning it’ll grow well near cold windows or in unheated garages with natural light. Violas sprout purple, white, or yellow edible blooms and heart-shaped leaves in a rosette. They’ll spread over time, creating dense colonies.

Grant violas filtered light for most of the day and avoid direct sunlight. It can cause scorching on the sensitive leaves. If the violas grow too dense for their pot, consider repotting them or dividing them into multiple new specimens. 

Pansy

Pansies are close relatives of violas. They feature bigger edible blooms, larger leaves, and a more upright habit than violas. They’re also incredibly common! Find seeds online, or look to your local nursery to locate potted plants ready for transplanting. 

Pansies thrive under cold temperatures and constant moisture. They may not fare well near heaters, in dark corners, or near ovens and appliances in the kitchen. Grow them outdoors during winter if you live in zones 6 through 10. Otherwise, consider bringing them indoors as frosty weather approaches. 

Herbs

Unlike leafy greens, herbs are primarily to flavor meals instead of making them. You’ll use a little of their leaves, stems, and flowers to inject savory, sweet, and umami flavors into your dishes. Grow the herbs you love to eat most in your home so you have them available year-round whenever you need them. 

Basil

Many growers must say farewell to basil outdoors as winter frost arrives. Basil is frost-tender, meaning it dies as temperatures drop in fall and winter. Basil prefers conditions that match its native habitats in tropical Africa and Asia, where moisture and warmth are abundant.

Grow basil indoors with a grow light, or place your potted specimen close to a window in a warm room. Daily misting of the leaves often discourages pests and dust from settling on the plant. Harvest basil by pinching the stem tips. This causes more shoots to grow on the wound, creating a dense, bushy specimen with repeated pinchings. 

Chives

Chives are like mini green onions. They’re perennial onion relatives with thin, green shoots and lavender blossoms. Both the leaves and flowers are edible, adding a sweet-savory onion flavor to your meals. Chop them on scrambled eggs, soups, and salads. 

Chives start easily from seeds. Sow a bunch of seeds in a pot with potting soil, keep them moist, and place them under light from a window or grow lights. They’ll need full sun or partial shade exposures to sprout and mature without issues. 

Stevia

If you already buy stevia sugar substitutes from the store, you might as well grow the plant! Stevia extracts come from the perennial plant Stevia rebaudiana. It also goes by the names candyleaf, sugarleaf, and sweetleaf. Use fresh leaves when you need sugar or dry them and grind them to form a powdery sugar substitute. 

Stevia plants require full sun or partial shade to grow during the winter. They may slow down and produce fewer leaves as days shorten and cool. Water them less during this time to avoid root rot, and water more often as they accelerate in spring. 

Cilantro

Cilantro is often difficult to grow outdoors. Heat and drought push the plants to bolt, after which they produce few leaves. You can control the conditions in your house more than the outdoors, meaning it may be easier to grow cilantro inside than outside! 

Your seedlings need full sun or partial shade, consistent moisture, and well-drained soil. Avoid placing them near drafts from heaters, doors, or windows, as they’re sensitive to hot and dry air. Cilantro is a good candidate for microgreens and sprouts in low-light conditions. 

Culantro

Culantro, like cilantro, may bolt and flower outdoors as spring days lengthen and warm. Culantro is a different plant than cilantro, although it tastes similar to the annual herb. It’s a biennial ground-dwelling plant that grows on tropical forest floors. Its leaves are tough and strong-tasting; they lend flavor to cooked dishes without wilting, unlike cilantro.

Culantro needs bright light to thrive. It performs well under grow lights, and it also thrives under reflected or filtered sunlight near a window. Wait to water it until the soil surface dries to ward off root rot and other fungal diseases. 

Lavender

This woody, evergreen shrub is native to Mediterranean regions where it grows under lots of direct sunlight, coastal spray, and warm temperatures. Lavender tolerates cold temperatures in zones 5 through 9 when it grows in the ground. Bring potted plants inside to enjoy their lovely aroma whenever you walk by.

Lavender needs lots of sunlight to grow well. Give it the brightest spot in your home with plenty of direct sunlight. It’ll need some grow lights in dark rooms, as shade will cause the plant to grow leggy, weak, and more prone to root rot.

Lemongrass

A grassy perennial, lemongrass adds a lemony flavor to dishes, casseroles, and baked goods. The whitish roots are perfect for chopping and sauteing, while the leafy grass blades work well in tea blends and smoothies either fresh and dry. 

Like lavender, lemongrass needs lots of sunlight to grow its best. Grant it a well-lit location near a window where sunrays pass over the leaves. 

Marjoram

Marjoram is like a milder form of oregano. It needs warmer temperatures than oregano and thyme to thrive, making it an excellent candidate for the indoor garden. Add it to meats, vegetables, or homemade herb breads. 

This Mediterranean herb thrives under full sun or partial shade. Grant it a spot in your house where it has access to filtered light most of the day with some direct sunlight. Shaded marjoram specimens grow leggy and yellow with few leaves or flowers. Add grow lights or move them closer to the window. 

Mint

Mint must grow in a container! Be prepared for a hostile takeover if you plant it in the ground. The herb grows long, thick underground roots that sprout new stems. They’ll invade every inch of soil they can. The easiest way to combat this is to grow this herb in a container. 

Mint thrives outdoors from zones 5 through 9, and it’ll appreciate an indoor holiday in cold winter zones 4 and below. Grant your plants dappled or filtered sunlight most of the day to keep them happy, healthy, and flavorful.

Oregano

Oregano is a hardy perennial shrub that grows outdoors from zones 3 through 10! It’s one of the hardiest herbs on this list, so you may wonder why you’d want to grow it inside. The reason is that harsh winter freezes often kill these shrubs to the ground. They regenerate in spring, though you might not be able to wait that long for fresh oregano!

Move your potted herb to a bright living room or kitchen so you have access to fresh oregano year-round. This shrub, like lavender, requires lots of direct sunlight to continue thriving. Grant it the brightest spot in your home, or consider placing it under grow lights. 

Parsley

Parsley is the classic garnishing herb. You’ll often see it decorating plates in diners and restaurants. It adds color and flavor to meals, enhancing their existing qualities. Not only is it a beautiful garnish, but parsley is also essential for making pasta sauce, tabbouleh, and pesto. 

Parsley loves cool temperatures, and it’ll struggle in warm rooms. Grow it in a pot near a cool window or glass door where it has access to partial shade or filtered light. This plant is biennial, and its leaves taste worse after bolting. Sow seeds continuously for fresh, pungent leaves without bitterness. 

Rosemary

Rosemary, like lavender and oregano, is an evergreen woody shrub with aromatic and flavorful leaves. They add savory, herby hints to mashed potatoes, sauces, and bread. If you bake, cook with potatoes, or like herbal oil infusions, rosemary is a must-have plant for your indoor garden. 

Rosemary shrubs need full sun to do their best inside. Grant them at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, or supplement natural sunlight with grow lights. So long as the shrubs receive six hours of light a day, they’ll perform well indoors no matter the season. 

Sage

Sage is another sun-loving woody shrub ideal for a kitchen garden. Its soft, flavorful leaves lend a savory touch to meats, seafood, and vegetables. Blend dry sage, oregano, marjoram, and parsley to make a homemade seasoning mix! Or, grow a potted plant on a windowsill to have fresh leaves available year-round.

Sage needs full sun to survive the winter. Grant it six or more hours of light from the sun or artificial sources. It hates soggy feet, so wait to water until after the soil surface dries.

Winter Savory

This aromatic perennial is an unlikely candidate for indoor growing, as it has “winter” in its name! Although winter savory is incredibly cold-hardy, it’s intolerant of winters in zones 4 and below. Grow your specimen in a container and move it inside as frost arrives to continue enjoying its aromatic and flavorful leaves.

Happy specimens may bloom white flowers in spring and summer. The blooms are edible like the leaves, and they have a subtler, sweeter flavor. Winter savory needs full sun to perform well, so grant it a well-lit room in your house with plenty of direct sunlight.

Sweet Bay

Sweet bay matures into a tree! It produces the famous bay leaves essential for beans, chiles, sauces, and stews. Grow a specimen at home to save hundreds of dollars on those old, dry packets of bay leaves from the grocery store. Who knows how old they are? Fresh leaves taste better and offer more flavor per leaf than dry ones in store-bought packs. 

This evergreen tree needs a large container to perform well. Grant it well-drained soil, consistent moisture, and full sun. Let the soil surface dry between waterings to avoid root rot from soggy conditions. 

Thyme

This low-growing spreader is perfect for a wide, shallow container. It’s commonly used as a ground cover in warm climates with direct sunlight. The leaves are flavorful, aromatic, and nutritious. Make tea from them for a powerful boost, or use them in cooking recipes to extract their nutrition and flavor.

Thyme needs six to eight hours of daily direct sunlight. Ensure your plants have sufficient lighting or they’ll grow leggy and weak. Recover leggy specimens by trimming them and moving them closer to the light.