Winter savory
Encyclopedia
Winter savory is a perennial herb
in the family Lamiaceae
, native to warm temperate regions of southern Europe
.
It is a semi-evergreen, semi-woody subshrub
growing to over 230 cm (7.5 ft) tall. The leaves
are opposite, oval-lanceolate, 1–2 cm long and 5 mm broad. The flower
s are white.
Winter savory is now little used, but for hundreds of years both it and summer savory
have been grown and used, virtually side by side. Both have strong spicy flavour.
, and digestive benefits. It has also been used as an expectorant and in the treatment of stings. The plant has a stronger action than the closely related summer savory
.
Taken internally, it is said to be a 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.
Therapeautic grade oil has been determined to inhibit growth of Candida albicans
.
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.
In traditional herbal medicine, summer savory was believed to be an aphrodisiac, while winter savory was believed to inhibit sexual desire.
Chemical Constituents: Carvacrol
(30 - 75%), thymol
(1.0 - 5.0%), p-cymene
(10 - 20%), gamma-terpineol
(2.0 - 10%), 1,8-cineole (3.8%), borneol
(12.5%), a-terpineol (2.5%)
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
in the family Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
, native to warm temperate regions of southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
It is a semi-evergreen, semi-woody subshrub
Subshrub
A subshrub or dwarf shrub is a short woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a similar term.It is distinguished from a shrub by its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less than 10–20 cm tall, or by being only weakly woody and/or persisting...
growing to over 230 cm (7.5 ft) tall. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are opposite, oval-lanceolate, 1–2 cm long and 5 mm broad. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are white.
Cultivation and uses
Easy to grow, it makes an attractive border plant for any culinary herb garden. It requires six hours of sun a day in soil that drains well. S. montana 'Nana is a dwarf cultivar.Winter savory is now little used, but for hundreds of years both it and summer savory
Summer savory
Summer savory is the better known of the savory species. It is an annual, but otherwise is similar in use and flavor to the perennial winter savory...
have been grown and used, virtually side by side. Both have strong spicy flavour.
Culinary Uses
In cooking, winter savory has a reputation for going very well with both beans and meats, very often lighter meats such as chicken or turkey, and can be used in stuffing. It has a strong flavour while uncooked but loses much of its flavour under prolonged cooking.Medicinal Uses
Winter savory has been purported to have antiseptic, aromatic, carminativeCarminative
A carminative, also known as carminativum , is a herb or preparation that either prevents formation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract or facilitates the expulsion of said gas, thereby combating flatulence...
, and digestive benefits. It has also been used as an expectorant and in the treatment of stings. The plant has a stronger action than the closely related summer savory
Summer savory
Summer savory is the better known of the savory species. It is an annual, but otherwise is similar in use and flavor to the perennial winter savory...
.
Taken internally, it is said to be a 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.
Therapeautic grade oil has been determined to inhibit growth of Candida albicans
Candida albicans
Candida albicans is a diploid fungus that grows both as yeast and filamentous cells and a causal agent of opportunistic oral and genital infections in humans. Systemic fungal infections including those by C...
.
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.
In traditional herbal medicine, summer savory was believed to be an aphrodisiac, while winter savory was believed to inhibit sexual desire.
Chemical Constituents: Carvacrol
Carvacrol
Carvacrol, or cymophenol, C6H3CH3, is a monoterpenoid phenol. It has a characteristic pungent, warm odor of oregano and a pizza-like taste.- Natural occurrence :...
(30 - 75%), thymol
Thymol
Thymol is a natural monoterpene phenol derivative of cymene, C10H14O, isomeric with carvacrol, found in oil of thyme, and extracted from Thymus vulgaris and various other kinds of plants as a white crystalline substance of a pleasant aromatic odor and strong antiseptic properties...
(1.0 - 5.0%), p-cymene
Cymene
Cymene, or p-cymene, is a naturally occurring aromatic organic compound. It is classified as a hydrocarbon related to a monoterpene. Its structure consists of a benzene ring para-substituted with a methyl group and an isopropyl group...
(10 - 20%), gamma-terpineol
Terpineol
Terpineol is a naturally occurring monoterpene alcohol that has been isolated from a variety of sources such as cajuput oil, pine oil, and petitgrain oil. There are three isomers, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-terpineol, the last two differing only by the location of the double bond...
(2.0 - 10%), 1,8-cineole (3.8%), borneol
Borneol
Borneol is a bicyclic organic compound and a terpene. The hydroxyl group in this compound is placed in an endo position.Borneol is easily oxidized to the ketone yielding camphor. One historical name for borneol is Borneo camphor which explains the name. Borneol can be synthesized by reduction of...
(12.5%), a-terpineol (2.5%)