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Danger: All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction
Bloom Color: Pink Violet/Lavender White/Near White
Bloom Time: Late Summer/Early Fall
Foliage: Grown for foliage Herbaceous Burgundy Aromatic
Other details: Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Soil pH requirements: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information: Non-patented
Propagation Methods: From seed; sow indoors before last frost From seed; direct sow after last frost
Seed Collecting: Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed
On Sep 14, 2009, natas from Beverly Hills, CA wrote:
For those of you who don't know what to do with Beefsteak/perilla leaves, they are a suitable replacement for basil in most recipes, including pesto and pizza.
On May 5, 2009, SierraTigerLily from Boca Raton, FL (Zone 10b) wrote:
I picked up a small herb pot of this from Whole Foods a year ago. Certainly a prolific volunteer in my garden. I have not experienced the dermatitis mentioned below. I can attest to the lovely leaves which I use to serve tuna sashimi appetizers. They provide a refreshing bite and counter balance to buttery slices of fish. Very attractive in my veggie garden.
On Apr 28, 2009, Joan from Belfield, ND (Zone 4a) wrote:Editor's Note
The primary toxic compound found in this plant is perilla ketone.
These compounds have been shown to be toxic to the lungs of cattle, sheep, horses and laboratory animals. All parts of the plant are poisonous, but the toxins are mostly concentrated in the flower clusters. Most cases of poisoning occur after flowering, in late summer or early fall. Limited data is available about the toxicity in humans.
Perilla oil may cause dermatitis.
We tend to err on the side of caution in PlantFiles, and the danger notation in the details above is to caution gardeners, parents and pet owners to look further for more information.
On Jan 17, 2009, ncowan2005 from Toronto Canada wrote:
You should pick the flowers when they are immature, just budding. they are the classic japanese food garnish and tangy yummy for salads too. the leaves keep their lustre that way.
we love this plant. it self sows like mad though so you will have volunteers everywhere.
On Oct 11, 2008, sallyg from Anne Arundel Co., MD (Zone 7a) wrote:
I loved the red color of the leaves in spring and summer. End of summer, when it flowered, though, the leaves lost color and became a dull greenish, and they were messy looking because of the flower stalks. I took the (seeding) plants out and laid them in an area of lamiastrum where I hope to have the red color for spring again, and will pull them up late in summer.
On Jun 11, 2008, CurtisJones from Longmont, CO wrote:
From your friends at Botanical Interests: Do you love basil? Then, you must try this native of the Himalays and eastern India that is popular in Asian cooking, but relatively unknown in the U.S. Akashiso is the red (dark burgundy) form of the plant. Its flavor has been described as curry-like and as a combination of cumin, cilantro, and/or parsley with a hint of cinnamon. The leaves are a superb addition to mesclun salad mixes, a superb garnish served along with sushi, especially good sprinkled over cucumbers, cabbage, or fish, and the 3-6 week old sprouts can be used as a tasty garnish. You can also chop and add them to any sauce including pesto! The flowers are edible, and the leaves make a fragrant tea. Also called, Japanese basil or Japanese mint. The 18" plants will tolerate full sun or shade.
Regional...
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Vincent, Alabama Longmont, Colorado Boca Raton, Florida Jesup, Georgia Chicago, Illinois Crystal Lake, Illinois Melbourne, Kentucky Marrero, Louisiana Waynesboro, Mississippi Mount Laurel, New Jersey Scotch Plains, New Jersey New York, New York Bessemer City, North Carolina Columbus, Ohio Allen, Texas Austin, Texas Cedar Park, Texas Larue, Texas
2 vendors have this plant for sale.
