Satureja hortensis
| Satureja hortensis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Satureja hortensis (common name: summer savory)
Propagation: Seed - sow April in situ and only just cover[1]. Germinates in about 2 weeks. The plant strongly resents root disturbance so do not transplant it. In areas with mild winters an autumn sowing will provide an earlier supply of leaves[2].
Cultivation: A very easily grown plant when given suitable conditions, it prefers a rich light soil with plenty of moisture[1][3][4][5] and succeeds in a hot dry sunny position[2]. It prefers growing in an alkaline soil[2] but is not too fussy. It is very intolerant of soils that remain damp and dislikes shade[2].
Summer savory is often grown as a culinary herb. It is a good companion plant in the garden, where it helps to repel insect pests and grows especially well with onions and beans[4][6][7]. A fast-growing plant, it can be harvested within 2 months of sowing the seed[8]. If cut back as the flower buds appear, it will produce a fresh flush of leaves[1].
Summer savory seeds can prevent the germination of nearby seeds[9].
The leaves have an aromatic fragrance[10].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[11][4].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[12].
Range: S.E. Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat: Dry gravelly and stony slopes to 1500 metres[13].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[1][14][7][5][15][16][17]. An aromatic, slightly peppery flavour, they are used mainly as a flavouring for cooked foods, especially the more difficult to digest foods such as beans where they compliment the flavour and reduce flatulence[18][8]. They are also used as a garnish for salads etc[18]. The leaves can be used fresh or dried[18].
A herb tea is made from the leaves[4]. The leaves are harvested just before the plant comes into flower[18]. A tangy, marjoram-like flavour[18].
The flowering shoots contain about 0.5% essential oil[11], this is used as a food flavouring[19][20][21].
Medicinal: Summer savory is most often used as a culinary herb, but it also has marked medicinal benefits, especially upon the whole digestive system[22]. The plant has a milder action than the closely related winter savory, S. montana[22].
The whole herb, and especially the flowering shoots, is antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, digestive, expectorant and stomachic[3][11][4][23]. Taken internally, it is said to be a sovereign remedy for colic and a cure for flatulence[3], whilst it is also used to treat nausea, diarrhoea, bronchial congestion, sore throat and menstrual disorders[24]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[24]. A sprig of the plant, rubbed onto bee or wasp stings, brings instant relief[3]. The plant is harvested in the summer when in flower and can be used fresh or dried[24].
The essential oil forms an ingredient in lotions for the scalp in cases of incipient baldness[11].
An ointment made from the plant is used externally to relieve arthritic joints[11].
Usage: The essential oil from the flowering shoots is used extensively in perfumery, giving a particular quality to the fragrance[11].
When grown near beans it repels insect pests[9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Hylton, Josie and William Holtom. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press, 1979.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Nicholson, Barbara and Stephen Harrison. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press, 1975.
- ↑ Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
- ↑ Larkcom, Joy. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn, 1980.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.