Winter savory (
Satureja montana) is a perennial
herbA herb is a plant that is valued for flavor, scent, or other qualities. Herbs are used in cooking, as medicines, and for spiritual purposes....
in the family
LamiaceaeLamiaceae or Labiatae, also known as the mint family, is a family of plants. It has been considered closely related to Verbenaceae but several recent phylogenetic studies have shown that numerous genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae, whereas the core genera of Verbenaceae...
, native to warm temperate regions of southern
EuropeEurope 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 water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
.
It is a semi-evergreen, semi-woody
subshrubA subshrub is a short woody plant. 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 only for a few years...
growing to over tall. The
leavesIn botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin. There is continued debate about whether the flatness of leaves evolved to expose the chloroplasts to more light or to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. In...
are opposite, oval-lanceolate, 1-2 cm long and 5 mm broad. The
flowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds...
s are white.
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.
Winter savory is now little used, but for hundreds of years both it and
Summer savorySummer 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.This herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom from July to September....
have been grown and used, virtually side by side.
Winter savory (
Satureja montana) is a perennial
herbA herb is a plant that is valued for flavor, scent, or other qualities. Herbs are used in cooking, as medicines, and for spiritual purposes....
in the family
LamiaceaeLamiaceae or Labiatae, also known as the mint family, is a family of plants. It has been considered closely related to Verbenaceae but several recent phylogenetic studies have shown that numerous genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae, whereas the core genera of Verbenaceae...
, native to warm temperate regions of southern
EuropeEurope 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 water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
.
It is a semi-evergreen, semi-woody
subshrubA subshrub is a short woody plant. 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 only for a few years...
growing to over tall. The
leavesIn botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin. There is continued debate about whether the flatness of leaves evolved to expose the chloroplasts to more light or to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. In...
are opposite, oval-lanceolate, 1-2 cm long and 5 mm broad. The
flowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds...
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.
Winter savory is now little used, but for hundreds of years both it and
Summer savorySummer 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.This herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom from July to September....
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. It may also be used medicinally, it is a stimulant, and is also a known aphrodisiac.
Medicinal Uses
Antiseptic; Aromatic; Carminative; Digestive; Expectorant; Stings; Stomachic.
"Winter savory is most often used as a culinary herb, but it also has marked medicinal benefits, especially upon the whole digestive system. The plant has a stronger action than the closely related
summer savorySummer 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.This herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom from July to September....
, S. hortensis.
According to
Plants for a Future, the whole herb, and especially the flowering shoots, is mildly antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, digestive, mildly expectorant and stomachic. 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 albicansCandida albicans is a diploid fungus and a causal agent of opportunistic oral and genital infections in humans. Systemic fungal infections have emerged as important causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients...
according to Oberg K, Rolling L, Oberg C. in The Journal of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 2005;82:60-72..
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.
Chemical Constituents:
CarvacrolCarvacrol, 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%),
thymolThymol , is a monoterpene phenol derivative of cymene, C10H14O, isomeric with carvacrol, found in oil of thyme, and extracted as a white crystalline substance of a pleasant aromatic odor and strong antiseptic properties...
(1.0 - 5.0%), p-
cymeneCymene, 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-
terpineolTerpineol 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%),
borneolBorneol is a bicyclic organic compound and a terpene. The hydroxyl group in this compound is placed in an endo position. Isoborneol is its exo isomer....
(12.5%), a-terpineol (2.5%)
External links
Grieves, A Modern Herbal