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Summer Savory Satureja hortensis

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
sah-tur-AY-jah hor-TEN-sis
Description

Summer Savory is an edible, annual flowering herb, and with a culinary, medicinal, aromatic and decorative value. It has a mild peppery taste and is often used to flavor soup, tea, vinegar, meat, cabbage, and butter. It is also used in potpourris. Savory is most often used as a culinary herb, but it also has marked medicinal benefits, especially upon the whole digestive system. The plant is grown from seed in early spring and harvested in the summer when in flower and can be used fresh or dried. Summer Savory is grown as an annual, unlike its cousin, Winter Savory, which is grown as a perennial and tends to have a more bitter flavor. The genus name comes from the Latin for Savory.

Summer Savory is easy to grow in rich light soil with plenty of moisture, full sun and alkaline soil, although it is not fussy. However, it does not do well in damp soil or shade. Savory is a good companion plant in the garden to repel insect pests with onions and beans. It is a fast-growing plant, can be harvested within 2 months of sowing, and can be cut back as the flower buds appear to produce a fresh flush of leaves. The flowers are very attractive to bees, but the plant is rarely troubled by deer.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

No known diseases or insect pests.

 

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#culinary#deer resistant#bushy#companion plant#herbaceous perennial#edible leaves#non-toxic for horses#non-toxic for dogs#non-toxic for cats#herb
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#culinary#deer resistant#bushy#companion plant#herbaceous perennial#edible leaves#non-toxic for horses#non-toxic for dogs#non-toxic for cats#herb
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Satureja
    Species:
    hortensis
    Family:
    Lamiaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    The leaves are harvested just before the plant comes into flower and have a tangy, marjoram-like flavor. The flowering shoots contain about 0.5% essential oil.
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Stem Cutting
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Southeastern Europe to Western Asia
    Distribution:
    Introduced to North America; from Newfoundland south to Virginia and west to Ohio.
    Play Value:
    Attracts Pollinators
    Edibility:
    Leaves, raw or cooked, can be used as flavoring. Aromatic and slightly peppery, it can be a garnish for salad or steeped for tea.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Edible
    Herb
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Multi-stemmed
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Soil pH:
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Nut
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    Broad oblong-ovoid, pale brown nutlets.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    White
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Fragrant
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Tubular
    Flower Petals:
    Bracts
    Flower Description:
    Multiple congested flowers or lilac, pink, or white.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Green
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Linear
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    Linear 3/4 inch leaves are spread over the stem stem, tapering into an inconspicuous petiole, gland-dotted, with a few simple hairs.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Hairy (pubescent)
    Stem Description:
    Branched with very short backward or downward facing white hairs.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Hanging Baskets
    Small Space
    Landscape Theme:
    Edible Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Dry Soil