Common Name: Summer Savory

General Information

Satureja hortensis is an erect, much-branched, very aromatic annual plant that can grow around 10 - 50cm tall[].
Summer savory is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is sometimes grown for medicinal use and as a flavouring in gardens.
The plant has often escaped from cultivation and can be found as a weed in many areas[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Europe to W. Asia - Italy, the Balkans to Kazakhstan, western China and the western Himalayas. Widely naturalized in southand eastern Europe

Habitat

Dry gravelly and stony slopes; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[]. Often found on calcareous soils[].Sometimes found as a weed in gardens[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Summer savory grows well in most temperate and subtropical climates[].
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 fast-growing plant and 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[].
One hectare of this plant, cultivated in Central Asia, can yield from 3 - 6 tons herbage and between 5 8 kilos of essential oil[].
Summer savory seeds can prevent the germination of nearby seeds[].
The leaves have an aromatic fragrance[].
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[, ]. Alone or in combination with other herbs, the plant is quite widely used to flavour baked products, meat and meat products, egg dishes, processed vegetables, salads, soups, gravies and pickles[]. The leaves are also used as a garnish for salads etc[]. The leaves can be used fresh or dried[].
Dried savory has a fragrant, aromatic odour, and a warm, aromatic, slightly sharp and somewhat camphoraceous taste. The odour and taste are sometimes likened to those of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)[].

A herbal 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[]. The oil has a sharp and bitter flavour, at low concentrations only it is reminiscent of the herb itself. The oil is used in the food industry to flavour processed foods, and is also used in the liqueur and perfume industries[, , ].

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, Satureja montana[].

The whole herb, and especially the flowering shoots, is anthelmintic, antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, 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[]. In the Middle East it is used for the treatment of tachycardia, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and acute respiratory infections[]. 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 from the flowering stem 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[].

Agroforestry Uses:

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[, , ]. When grown near beans the plant repels insect pests[].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[, ].

Other Uses

An essential oil from the flowering shoots has an agreeable scent[]. It is used extensively in perfumery, giving a particular quality to the fragrance[].

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[].