South-of-the-Border cuisine has been making its way north. If you haven't experimented with the interesting Mexican herbs that are increasingly available in supermarkets, plant nurseries and online, it's time you gave them a try. Here is a quartet of the personal favorites I grow in my Texas garden.

• Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida). If you live in the sultry south, you know how hard it is to grow tarragon successfully. Try this delightful substitute, which has a stronger anise-licorice flavor than tarragon. It's zippy in vinegars and vinaigrettes, adds zest to herbal butters, and is a delicious addition to pesto. Bonus: the plant repels insects and the yellow blossoms are pretty on your table!
• Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum). Throughout the Southwest, you'll taste the fresh pungency of cilantro in salads, salsas, beans, and sandwiches. The leaves look like Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, and best used when the plant is young, about 6" high. Don't try to dry the leaves; you'll lose every bit of the flavor. The seeds of this plant have a different name: coriander.
• Mexican Oregano (Poliomintha longiflora). In my garden, this plant is a 5-foot shrub, with highly aromatic leaves and pretty tubular flowers that attract bees and hummingbirds. Steeped in a robust red wine vinegar, with garlic and chiles, it's a lively marinade. The leaves may be added to soups, beans, and stews (although I like to take them out before serving). Another oregano, Lippia graveolens, is used on pizzas and with tomato sauces.
• Hoja Santa (Piper auritum). When you rub the leaves, your fingers smell like root beer. This tall (6-10 feet) tropical herb likes plenty of humidity, and does well in containers, dying back in the winter and sprouting again in spring. The leaves are the size of dinner plates, and are often wrapped around tamales. Shredded, they're used to season sauces, chicken, and fish.

Read more about south-of-the-border herbs:

A Taste of Mexico: Vegetarian Cuisines, by Kippy Nigh The Best of Mexico, by Evie Righter