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Common Name: Summer Savory

General Information

Satureja hortensis is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.30 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S.E. Europe to W. Asia.

Habitat

Dry gravelly and stony slopes to 1500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A very easily grown plant when given suitable conditions, it prefers a rich light soil with plenty of moisture[, , , ] and succeeds in a hot dry sunny position[]. It prefers growing in an alkaline soil[] but is not too fussy. It is very intolerant of soils that remain damp and dislikes shade[].
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[, , ]. A fast-growing plant, it can be harvested within 2 months of sowing the seed[]. If cut back as the flower buds appear, it will produce a fresh flush of leaves[].
Summer savory seeds can prevent the germination of nearby seeds[].
The leaves have an aromatic fragrance[].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[, ].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[, , , , , , ]. 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[, ]. They are also used as a garnish for salads etc[]. The leaves can be used fresh or dried[].
A herb tea is made from the leaves[]. The leaves are harvested just before the plant comes into flower[]. A tangy, marjoram-like flavour[].
The flowering shoots contain about 0.5% essential oil[], this is used as a food flavouring[, , ].

Medicinal

Summer savory is most often used as a culinary herb, but it also has marked medicinal benefits, especially upon the whole digestive system[]. The plant has a milder action than the closely related winter savory, S. montana[].
The whole herb, and especially the flowering shoots, is antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, digestive, expectorant and stomachic[, , , ]. Taken internally, it is said to be a sovereign remedy for colic and a cure for flatulence[], whilst it is also used to treat nausea, diarrhoea, bronchial congestion, sore throat and menstrual disorders[]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[]. A sprig of the plant, rubbed onto bee or wasp stings, brings instant relief[]. The plant is harvested in the summer when in flower and can be used fresh or dried[].
The essential oil forms an ingredient in lotions for the scalp in cases of incipient baldness[].
An ointment made from the plant is used externally to relieve arthritic joints[].

Other Uses

The essential oil from the flowering shoots is used extensively in perfumery, giving a particular quality to the fragrance[].
When grown near beans it repels insect pests[].

Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring in situ and only just cover[]. 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[].