Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results


     Back to: Pathways  Main Search Page  For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Satureja hortensis

Common name: Summer Savory Family: Labiatae
Author: L. Botanical references: 74, 200
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: None known
Range: S.E. Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat: Dry gravelly and stony slopes to 1500 metres[74].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 3Medicinal Rating (1-5):2

Other Possible Synonyms:From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
Satureia hortensis[HORTIPLEX]
Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Ajedrea [E], Bonenkruid [D], Geyikotu [E], Senyorida De Jardi [E], Summer Savory [P,H,L,E,B],
Epithets:From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
hortensis = of gardens
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
Chile Europe Spain(Balearic I) Turkey

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.3m by 0.4m . It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Condiment Leaves Tea.

Leaves - raw or cooked[1, 2, 20, 27, 34, 37, 52]. 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[183, 244]. They are also used as a garnish for salads etc[183]. The leaves can be used fresh or dried[183].
A herb tea is made from the leaves[14]. The leaves are harvested just before the plant comes into flower[183]. A tangy, marjoram-like flavour[183].
The flowering shoots contain about 0.5% essential oil[7], this is used as a food flavouring[46, 61, 105].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antirheumatic Antiseptic Aromatic Carminative Digestive Expectorant Stings Stomachic.

Summer savory is most often used as a culinary herb, but it also has marked medicinal benefits, especially upon the whole digestive system[254]. The plant has a milder action than the closely related winter savory, S. montana[254].
The whole herb, and especially the flowering shoots, is antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, digestive, expectorant and stomachic[4, 7, 14, 21]. Taken internally, it is said to be a sovereign remedy for colic and a cure for flatulence[4], whilst it is also used to treat nausea, diarrhoea, bronchial congestion, sore throat and menstrual disorders[238]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[238]. A sprig of the plant, rubbed onto bee or wasp stings, brings instant relief[4]. The plant is harvested in the summer when in flower and can be used fresh or dried[238].
The essential oil forms an ingredient in lotions for the scalp in cases of incipient baldness[7].
An ointment made from the plant is used externally to relieve arthritic joints[7].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Essential Repellent.

The essential oil from the flowering shoots is used extensively in perfumery, giving a particular quality to the fragrance[7].
When grown near beans it repels insect pests[201].

Cultivation details

A very easily grown plant when given suitable conditions, it prefers a rich light soil with plenty of moisture[1, 4, 14, 27] and succeeds in a hot dry sunny position[200]. It prefers growing in an alkaline soil[200] but is not too fussy. It is very intolerant of soils that remain damp and dislikes shade[200].
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[14, 18, 20]. A fast-growing plant, it can be harvested within 2 months of sowing the seed[244]. If cut back as the flower buds appear, it will produce a fresh flush of leaves[1].
Summer savory seeds can prevent the germination of nearby seeds[201].
The leaves have an aromatic fragrance[245].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[7, 14].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow April in situ and only just cover[1]. 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[200].

Scent

Leaves: Crushed
The leaves have an aromatic fragrance[245].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

References for Satureia hortensis (a possible synonym). References for satureja hortensis (a possible synonym).

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.

[34] Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975
Good drawings of some of the more common food plants from around the world. Not much information though.

[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[52] Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980
A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

Readers Comments

  Main Search Page  Help  Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
  Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Satureja+hortensis
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Satureja+hortensis

Creative Commons License Atribution Non commercial Share alike This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home  ::  View Cart  ::  Shipping & Returns  ::  Contact Us  ::  Privacy Policy   ::  Philosophy  ::   The Witchs Haven 

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.

Creative Commons Copyright    &  (c) 2007 Pathways   &   The Witchs Haven     Website hosting by: