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Common Name: Winter Savory

General Information

Satureja montana is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 0.40 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. Europe to N. Africa. Occasionally naturalized in Britain.

Habitat

Old walls, dry banks and rocks on hillsides, usually on calcareous soils[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.40 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant when given suitable conditions, it prefers a well-drained poor stony soil[, , , ] and succeeds in a hot dry sunny position[]. It prefers an alkaline soil[] though it is not too fussy. It is very intolerant of soils that remain damp, especially in the winter, and dislikes shade[]. Plants are less hardy when they are grown in rich soils and also in wet conditions[, ].
Winter savory is often grown in the garden as a culinary herb, there are some named varieties[]. The flavour is said to be more coarse than that of the annual savory (S. hortensis). The plants live for several years, but as they grow older they do not make so much new growth and so are best replaced every two years[].
A good bee plant[].
The leaves have an aromatic fragrance[].
A good companion plant to grow in the garden, it does especially well with onions and beans and helps to repel insect pests[]. The plant is said to inhibit the germination of certain seeds[]. Winter savory seeds can prevent the germination of nearby seeds[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[, , , , , , ]. A peppery flavour, they are used mainly as a flavouring for cooked foods, especially beans, and also as a garnish for salads etc[]. They have a stronger, sharper flavour than summer savory (S. hortensis)[]. The leaves can be used fresh or dried[].
A herb tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves[]. The leaves are harvested just before the plant comes into flower[]. A tangy, marjoram-like flavour[].

Medicinal

Winter 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 stronger action than the closely related summer savory, S. hortensis[].
The whole herb, and especially the flowering shoots, is mildly antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, digestive, mildly 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 gastro-enteritis, cystitis, 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 growing plant repels insects[, , ].
An essential oil is obtained from the leaves.
Plants can be grown as a ground cover when spaced about 45cm apart each way[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in mid spring in a greenhouse. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination can be slow and erratic[] but usually takes place within a month[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. It is usually possible to plant out into their permanent positions during the summer, but if the plants have not grown sufficiently, or if you live in an area of cold winters, it might be best to grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm taken at a node, mid summer in a frame. Pot up in autumn and overwinter in a frame, planting out in late spring or early summer of the following year. A high percentage usually succeed[].
Cuttings of young wood, preferably with a heel, mid spring in a frame[, ]. Plant out in the summer if the plants grow well, otherwise overwinter them in a cold frame and plant out in late spring or early summer of the following year[].
Division in early spring as growth commences[, ]. This works best if soil has been mounded up into the bottom 20cm of the plant early in the previous summer[]. Pot up the divisions and grow them on in a cold frame until they are established. Plant them out in the summer.