Perilla Shiso seed

LATIN NAME: Perilla frutescens

COMMON NAME: Perilla

Perilla is the fine, aromatic, red-leaved plant of the east, and its deeply toothed, purple-red leaves have made it a familiar of the warm-world gardens and the kitchens for a very long time. The upright, branching plant carries the broad, oval, deeply toothed, purple-red leaves, and the small, white or pink flowers open in the long, loose spikes through the late summer, to be followed by the small, round, pale-brown seeds. The leaves and the seeds have a fine, fresh, slightly spiced flavour, and they have a long record of use in the cooking and the practice of the region. It is a fine, easy, generous plant of the sunny, moist, well-drained garden.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Perilla has a strong and well-documented place in the plant science, and the leaves and the seeds have been studied for a long time for their fine, aromatic oil and their place in the cooking and the practice of the region. The chemistry of the purple-red leaves and the small, round seeds, which have a very long record of use, has been studied closely, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the aromatic herbs and the oil seeds of the east. The deeply toothed, purple-red leaves and the long, loose spikes of the flowers have also made it a fine garden plant, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the traditional herbs and the edible oils of the warm regions.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Perilla is grown for the fine, aromatic, purple-red leaves and the small, round seeds. The leaves are used fresh in the salads, the pickles, the wraps and the wok dishes of the east, and the seeds are pressed for the fine, golden oil of the region. The deep, purple-red colour gives the plant a fine, bold look in the border, and the flowers pull in the bees through the late summer. It has been written about in the food and the herbal papers for its fine, aromatic leaves and the golden seed oil, and it is a fine, easy, generous plant of the sunny, moist garden.

Perilla is a fine, bold, easy plant of the warm garden, and the deep, purple-red leaves give it a fine, rich look through the season. The leaves are a fine, fresh addition to the salads and the wok dishes, and the small, round seeds are pressed for the golden oil of the region.

In the right spot the perilla is a fine, dependable, generous plant, and it asks for very little beyond the sun and the moist, well-drained ground. The deep, purple-red leaves keep their bold, rich look through the whole season.

To grow the perilla from seed, press the small, round seeds into the surface of trays of moist, free-draining soil and cover them very lightly, keep them in a bright, warm, open spot and water gently. The seedlings come through within a couple of weeks and grow on fast in the warmth. With the sun and the moist, well-drained soil, the deep, purple-red, deeply toothed leaves will be there through the warm season.

Green

Hardy annual, also known as beefsteak plant. Deeply cut, aromatic, green leaf with crinkled edges. Allspice flavours with a hint of plum
Indoors; sow in trays in warmth, germination takes 1-2 weeks. Pot on, plant out 30cm apart

Outdoors; in warm sunny position, throughout spring and summer, thin to 30 cm spacing. Prefers site in full sun but moist rich soil. Sow seed on surface, needs light to germinate so cover lightly.