Common Name: Creeping Savory

General Information

Satureja spicigera is a perennial plant with erect, slender, rod-like stems that branch from the base[]. The stems are precumbent to creeping[]..
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes cultivated in gardens[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

W. Asia - northeastern Turkey, the Caucasus, northwest Iran

Habitat

Lower and middle parts of the forest zone, on rocky and gravelly slopes, in coppices
and scru[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.05 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants are hardy to at least -10°c[] when grown in suitable conditions, but are less hardy in rich soils or damp conditions[].
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 is not too fussy. It is intolerant of soils that remain damp and dislikes shade[].
A good bee plant[].
A good companion plant in the garden, growing especially well with onions and beans[]. The plant is said to inhibit the germination of certain seeds[]. Secretions from the 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 dishes, especially beans, but are also used as a garnish for salads etc[]. They have a stronger flavour than summer savory (Satureja hortensis)[]. The leaves can be used fresh or dried[].

Medicinal

Satureja spicigera contains essential oils, tannins, resins, and salts. 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, coughs, sore throat, kidney problems, hypertension 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[]. Sitting in a vapour bath of the infused stems is used as a remedy for haemorrhoids, whilst the infusion is also used to treat sore eyes and inflamed gums[].
An ointment made from the plant is used externally to relieve arthritic joints[].
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[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are very attractive to bees, providing a good source of nectar[].

Other Uses

None known

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.