Crested Late-summer-mint, Vietnamese balm
Elsholtzia ciliata

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

An erect herb. It grows to 60 cm high. The leaves have long stalks. The leaves are 2-8.5 cm long by 0.8-2.5 cm wide. They are oval to sword shaped. They have teeth along the edge. Underneath there are gland dots. The flowers are purple. They occur in flat spikes.

There are about 40 Elsholtzia species. It is used in medicine.

Where it is found

It is a cool temperate plant. In Nepal plants grow from 1500-3400 m altitude. In China it grows in waste areas and sunny terraces. It suits plant hardiness zone 5. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Asia, Cambodia, China, Europe, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Russia, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, USA, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Powdered seeds are used to flavour foodstuffs. The young plants are eaten raw in salads. They are also finely cut and boiled as a potherb. It is used to flavour vegetable dishes. The leaves and young flowers are dried and used as flavouring.

It is a cultivated plant.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves - spice, flowers

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Aromatic madder, Ban silam, Beng ji go, Bhotepaati, Bong ga da namg, Hsiang-ju, Kinh gioi ta, Naginata-koju, Rau kinh gioi, Vietnamese-perilla

Synonyms

Elsholtzia cristata Thunb.; Elsholtzia patrinii (Lep.) Garcke; Mentha patrinii Lepechin; Perilla polystachya D.Don; Sideritis ciliata Thunb.;