A small, bushy, hardy annual, to 38 cm (15 in) high, it has woody, much branched stems and small, leathery, dark-green, linear-lance late leaves. Tiny white or pale-lilac flowers appear in summer.
History and traditions
Both summer and winter savory are Mediterranean herbs that were appreciated by the Romans and commonly used in their cuisine. The poet Virgil, 70-19 BC, celebrated them as being among the most fragrant of plants suitable for growing near beehives. Shakespeare too, writes of the scent of savory and it is included in Perdita’s herbal gift to Polixenes in The Winter’s Tale. The savories were among the herbs listed by John Josselyn which were taken to North America by early settlers to remind them of their English gardens. Culpeper promotes both herbs to ease a range of ailments, including asthma, and for expelling “tough phlegm from the chest”, with summer savory especially suitable for drying to make conserves and syrups. It has been established by modern scientific studies (carried out in the 1980s) that the savories do have strong antibacterial properties. However, the subtle, spicy flavor (like marjoram, with a hint of thyme) ensures that both summer and winter savory remain first and foremost culinary herbs.
Habitat/distribution
Mediterranean in origin, introduced and widely grown in warm and temperate regions elsewhere. Occurs on chalky soils (alkaline) and rocky hillsides.
Growth
Grow in well-drained soil in full sun. Propagated from seed sown in containers, or in situ, in early spring. It may help reduce the incidence of blackfly when grown near beans.
Parts used
Leaves, flowering tops used fresh or dried.
Uses
Medicinal
Has antiseptic, antibacterial properties and is said to improve digestion.
Culinary
Summer savory has an affinity with beans and adds a spicy flavor to dried herb mixtures, stuffing’s, pulses, pates and meat dishes. Extracts and essential oil are used in commercial products in the food industry.
