Herb Seed Subcategories Compared for a Garden Shop Range

Herb seeds welcome browsing, but they need structure before they take shelf space. The herb group in the Bulk Seeds International catalogue separates species into several subcategories, and these are not simply labels. This overview explains what distinguishes the culinary, aromatic, medicinal and wild herb blocks, and it sets out a sequence a reseller can use when deciding which herb block should be adopted first.

What distinguishes the herb subcategories

The herb section is not one undifferentiated list. Individual species pages sit alongside named groups such as Aromatic Herbs, Medicinal Herbs and Speciality Herbs, and the wider catalogue also carries separate records for microgreens and sprouts. The distinction lies in how the catalogue files a reference and how a customer would describe the product, not in any claim about taste or effect. A culinary herb may be found inside the species groups, while aromatic herbs are gathered into their own index. Each product page repeats the species name, cultivar qualifier and SKU, so a wholesale enquiry can be specific regardless of which block the item appears under.

Culinary herbs and the species pages

For a garden shop, the most familiar references are the culinary species pages. Basil is listed with separate records for Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum americanum and Ocimum sanctum, and the cultivar names such as Genovese or Dark Opal sit inside those records. Thyme is filed under Thymus vulgaris with several varieties carrying seasonal words in their imported selection names. These pages are the easiest starting point because the product name, the cultivar and the SKU are clearly visible in the catalogue and can be quoted directly in a non-binding enquiry.

What makes a herb aromatic in the catalogue

Aromatic Herbs appear as a distinct index that gathers twelve species, including names that also have their own family pages. This grouping is a navigation aid, not a guarantee that the species will behave differently on a shelf. A reseller should treat it as a way to find lesser-known genera alongside the familiar ones. When listing a selection for a customer, the botanical record and SKU still decide which article is meant, because a trade description alone may point to several catalogue entries.

Medicinal herbs and the caution they require

Medicinal herb seeds form the largest named block under herbs in the catalogue, with thirty-eight species. That breadth is useful for a shop with customers who already know the species, but it also means the product names are not a statement about permitted uses or health claims. The catalogue presents botanical identities and trade selections; it does not supply medical wording. A reseller should keep the species name and SKU as the identifiers and avoid adding claims that are not present in the catalogue or in local guidance.

Wild herbs and speciality references

The catalogue also carries a Speciality Herbs group alongside the aromatic and medicinal blocks. These smaller entries are often less recognisable to a general customer, so they tend to suit shops with a specific audience rather than a first herb assortment. Because the group sits alongside the familiar genera rather than replacing them, a reseller can treat speciality references as later additions once the main species pages and their SKUs are established in the shop.

Common names and the identity problem

The catalogue repeats a warning across its herb pages: a common name is not enough to identify a seed reference. Lemon basil appears in more than one record, and mint covers several distinct botanical entries, including Mentha spicata, Mentha longifolia, Mentha piperita and Mentha pulegium. Rosemary shows the same issue in a different way, because Rosmarinus officinalis is a synonym of Salvia rosmarinus. A reseller who orders or lists by common name alone risks swapping one article for another, so the species page and SKU should travel with every request.

A decision sequence for shelf space

When a shop can only add one herb block at a time, begin with the species pages whose references are clearest to quote: basil, thyme, mint and rosemary all present species names and cultivar qualifiers on dedicated pages. Then consider the aromatic block, which draws together familiar and lesser-known genera in a compact list. Medicinal herbs and speciality or wild references sit further along the sequence, because they reward a shop that already has a customer base for them. This ordering is a planning sequence, not a judgement on quality.

Unit, quantity and quotation details

Each herb page points to the same trade procedure. For resale enquiries, state the SKU and the required weight, because pack size, available quantity and final price are checked in the quotation rather than fixed on the page. A price per kilogram and a price for a stated number of seeds are different bases, so the recorded unit on the product should be used consistently. Enquiries are non-binding, and supply terms are agreed separately, so the decision about shelf space can be made before any commitment.

Seeds, knowledge and growing possibilities.

Seed trade journal