Jan–MarApr–JunJul–SepOct–Dec
Planting
Days to maturity
Seasonal yields
Sow indoors · Direct sow · Transplant outdoors
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Plant · P-329
Perilla
Perilla frutescens
Perilla is a warm-season culinary herb grown for far more than its shiso-leaf reputation - seedlings go into salads, mature leaves wrap and garnish food, flowers are fried or used as a garnish, and the seed is pickled, salted, or pressed into a drying oil rich in linolenic acid. It needs steady heat and consistent water, does not tolerate frost, and only flowers once the days shorten in autumn - cutting it back once in early fall removes the whole year's seed crop while leaving a full summer's harvest untouched. It is genuinely toxic to cattle and horses, causing severe respiratory distress and even death, so it belongs in an intensively managed planting near the house rather than anywhere its cuttings could reach hay or pasture.
Record at a glance
Growing profile
- Sun
- Full Sun · Partial Sun
- USDA zone
- USDA 2–11
- Soil
- Sand · Loam
- Moisture
- Dry · Moist
Vertical layer
Herbaceous- Soil pH
- 5.5–6
- Plant type
- Annual
- Mature height
- 12–36 in
- Mature spread
- 12–18 in
- Plant spacing
- 12 in
- Root type
- Fibrous-shallow
- Spread pattern
- Seed
Keep exploring
Similar plants
Discover more plants with shared forest layers or growing conditions.
Adzuki Bean
Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & H.Ohashi
Adzuki is the odd one out among the beans in this group: a very hot summer is actively too hot for it, since heat above about 35C damages…
Herbaceous · USDA 3–11
Agrimony
Agrimonia eupatoria
Agrimony is a slender herbaceous perennial of sunny, disturbed ground across Europe and western Asia, grown mainly for the tannin-rich leaves…
Herbaceous · USDA 5–9
Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
Alfalfa is a deep-rooted perennial legume grown worldwide as one of the richest forage crops available, its taproot running six metres or…
Herbaceous · USDA 4–11
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera
Aloe Vera is a stemless, clump-forming succulent with thick, spiny-edged leaves that store a clear gel used to soothe burns, wounds and skin…
Herbaceous · USDA 10–12
Amaranth Greens
Amaranthus tricolor
Amaranth greens are one of the few leafy vegetables actually built for peak summer heat rather than one that just tolerates it - sown once…
Herbaceous · USDA 2–11
Angelica
Angelica archangelica
Angelica is a very large, short-lived umbellifer grown for its candied stem and aromatic root - the thick young stalks are peeled and boiled…
Herbaceous · USDA 5–7
The deeper layer
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- Primary
- Locked ecological function
- Secondary
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- Byproduct
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Behind the record
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