The selection and breeding results of new cultivars of medicinal and aromatic plants in Yugoslavia are reviewed. Also, characteristics of new created and registered cultivars, promising lines, and improved cultivars of cultivated medicinal and aromatic species with conserved genetic identity are summarized.

Initial selection was aimed at yield and essential oil content improvement. The next step put the emphasis upon composition of certain dominant oil components while modern trends will require creation of cultivars serving special purposes, e.g. flowers / leaves / roots exclusively for tea, raw material for oil production, for extracts, and isolation of pure active substances.

A cultivation tradition in Yugoslavia, related to medicinal and aromatic plants, has fruited 40 cultivated species and 80 cultivars listed in the cultivar list. The most important are peppermint and chamomile species. Noteworthy of five peppermint cultivars is a new selected Yugoslav cultivar Danica with yield genetic potential exceeding 30 t/ha fresh herb and essential oil content over 5%. In addition, the three chamomile cultivars, Banatska, Tip-29, and Tetraploidna, were selected. Today, first steps in selection of spring chamomile types are evident. Of five registered coriander cultivars, Sava and Nikola with the genetic potential for fruit yield exceeding 2.500 kg/ha and essential oil content over 2% are emphasized. Promising lines of medicinal species Datura innoxia Mill. (scopolamine over 0.6%), Digitalis lanata Ehrh. (lanatoside C over 0.5%), and Glaucium flavum Crantz (over 4% glaucine in dry herb) showing significantly increased content of active substances were also selected. In addition, characteristics of cultivars of other aromatic species (Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Carum carvi L., Hyssopus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Ocimum basilicum L., Satureja hortensis L., S. montana L., etc.) were improved.