Winter Savory
Satureja montana

Family: Lamiaceae or Labiatae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Pink, White. Main Bloom Time: Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Rounded.

Satureja montana is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 0.4

Where it is found

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

S. Europe to N. Africa. Occasionally naturalized in Britain.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

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.

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 3

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.

Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.

Aromatic: Having an agreeable odour and stimulant qualities.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Digestive: Aids digestion.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

Stings: Used in the treatment of stings and insect bites.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 4

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. 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. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Edible, Fragrant foliage, Not North American native. Dynamic accumulator.

Companion: Companion planting is the careful placement of plants (especially vegetables and herbs) which have been shown to have beneficial effects on one another.

Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.

Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.

Ground cover: Ground Cover

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Alpine garden, Border, Rock garden, Specimen. 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.

Propagating it: Seed - surface sow in April 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, July/August 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, April/May 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.

Best place to grow: Ground Cover; Cultivated Beds; East Wall. In. South Wall. In. West Wall. In.

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 6-11

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

S. illyrica. S. obovata.