Perilla

Perilla, also known as shiso, is an annual aromatic plant with fragrant green or purple leaves, used in Asian cuisine for salads, sushi, marinades, and fresh garnishes.

Format

Hardiness Not hardy

Difficulty level Easy

Family Lamiaceae

Perilla is an annual aromatic plant highly valued for its decorative foliage, often green, purple, or bicolored depending on the variety, and its distinctive fragrance with fresh, spicy, and slightly aniseed notes. Widely used in Asian cuisine, particularly Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, it can accompany salads, sushi, fresh rolls, marinades, rice dishes, noodles, fish, grilled meats, and fermented recipes. Its colorful foliage also adds great ornamental value to vegetable gardens, herb containers, planters, and edible flower beds.

Easy to grow during the warm season, perilla prefers a sunny to lightly partially shaded location, in fertile, fresh, and well-drained soil. It appreciates regular watering to produce tender, fragrant foliage that is pleasant to harvest. Pot cultivation is ideal on a terrace or balcony, especially for keeping leaves close at hand near the kitchen. Frequent harvesting of young shoots helps maintain a more compact, denser, and more productive plant.

Both aromatic, decorative, and very versatile, perilla is perfect for gardeners looking for an original herb full of character. Its unique foliage adds color, texture, and an exotic flavor to fresh recipes as well as cooked dishes. It's an excellent plant to enrich a gourmet garden, an urban vegetable patch, or a herb collection with a variety that is as beautiful as it is useful.