Description

An absolute must for herb gardens! Also called Japanese basil or beefsteak plant, shiso's incredible flavor can be described as a combination of cinnamon, mint, and clove with overtones of cumin. A beautiful, heat- and drought-tolerant bedding plant that attracts pollinators, and is excellent for containers. This packet provides 75% green shiso and 25% red.

Botanical Name: Perilla frutescens
Family: Lamiaceae
Native: Asia
Hardiness: Usually grown as a frost-sensitive annual; perennial in USDA zones 10 and warmer.
Plant Dimensions: 18″ tall
Variety Information: Either green, widely toothed leaves, or mulberry-red, sharply serrated, crinkled leaves.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Attributes: Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Heat Tolerant

When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is 65°–75°F.
When to Start Inside: 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date.
Days to Emerge: 5–21 days
Seed Depth: Press into surface
Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 12″
Row Spacing: 12″–18″
Thinning: When 1″ tall, thin to 1 every 12″

Harvesting: Harvest leaves any time after plant is a few inches tall, but before it flowers. Once plant flowers, the leaves drop.

This packet sows up to 93 feet. 280 seeds.