Vape Herbs: Dried Herbs to Vape and Blend

Seventeen dried herbs, one dial, and a lot of room to experiment. Here is what they are, which to pick, and the temperature each one wants.

What are vape herbs?

Vape herbs are simply dried plant material chosen for aroma rather than nicotine. A dry herb vaporizer warms the material to the point where its essential oils turn to vapour but stops short of combustion, which is the line that separates vaping from smoking. Technically it sits closer to aromatherapy than to anything else, and most of these plants have centuries of use behind them: lemon balm has been documented for over 2,000 years, and lavender appears in ancient Greek writing under the name Nardus.

Which herbs can you vape?

Lavender and Lemon Balm

Both belong to the Lamiaceae family, the same one as mint. Lavender is floral and slightly sweet and runs coolest of everything here at 130 C. Lemon balm is brighter and citrus-edged at 140 C. They are the two most forgiving herbs to start with because low temperatures are hard to scorch.

Thyme, Rosemary and Eucalyptus

The savoury, resinous end of the range. Thyme is warm and immediately recognisable, and it takes a high 190 C. Rosemary brings needle-like Mediterranean leaves, and eucalyptus, grown in Tasmania and southern Victoria, is the sharpest and coldest-smelling of the three. Use these sparingly in a blend unless you want them to dominate.

Chamomile and Hops Flowers

Chamomile is the apple-sweet one, an Asteraceae daisy relative used since ancient Egypt, and it wants a full 190 C. Hops is the interesting one botanically: Humulus lupulus belongs to Cannabaceae, the same plant family as cannabis, and the dried cones are the same strobiles that go into beer. It vaporizes at 160 C.

Gunpowder Tea

Yes, you can vape tea. Gunpowder is Camellia sinensis rolled into dense pellets in Zhejiang province, and at 180 C it gives a light, grassy vapour. The 100 g pack is by far the largest here, which makes it the cheapest way to bulk out a blend.

Wild Lettuce, Damiana and Passionflower

The traditional trio. Wild lettuce carries the folk alias opium lettuce through European herbal writing, damiana grows across the southern USA and South America and once appeared in a wine made by the inventor of Coca-Cola, and passionflower comes from a genus of roughly 550 American species. Damiana runs hot at 190 C, passionflower cool at 145 C. Alongside them sit Catnip at 150 C and the three lotus flowers, including Blue Lotus, which despite the name is a water lily.

What temperature to vape herbs at

This is the part most people get wrong, and it matters more than the herb you choose. Too low and nothing happens; too high and you scorch the material and lose the flavour you paid for. Our own vaping temperature guide breaks it into three bands: under 150 C for the delicate florals, 150 to 190 C for the middle of the range, and above 190 C for the herbs that need real heat to release anything.

Rosemary, eucalyptus, wild lettuce, the lotus flowers and the kanna extract have no published figure, so treat the bands above as your starting point and work upwards in small steps. Start low. You can always turn the dial up, but you cannot un-scorch a bowl.

How to build a blend

Blending works best with three roles in mind. A base herb makes up the bulk and should be something neutral and voluminous, which is where the 100 g of gunpowder tea earns its place. A supporting herb carries the character you actually want. A flavouring herb goes in last and in small amounts, because thyme, rosemary and eucalyptus will take over a blend given half a chance. Grind everything to a similar consistency so it heats evenly, and note that Kanna Extract UB40 is the one product here made specifically for vaporizing rather than dried leaf.

Do you need a dry herb vaporizer?

Yes, and it needs to be one built for dry material rather than e-liquid. Conduction devices heat the herb against a hot surface and are quicker off the mark; convection devices pass hot air through the material and are gentler and more even, which suits the delicate florals. If you are still choosing, the vaporizers section covers portable and desktop units, and CBD vape juice is there if you would rather vape a liquid than a leaf.

Choosing and storing your herbs

Dried botanicals lose their aromatics to light, heat and air, which is the whole reason a jar beats a bag. Keep them somewhere cool and dark and they will hold their character for months; leave them on a sunny shelf and thyme turns to hay. Pack sizes here run from 20 g for most of the range up to 50 g of chamomile and 100 g of tea. For more ideas on what to pair, our guides on relaxing vape herbs, energising vape herbs and aphrodisiac vape herbs go deeper than we can here.