Green Shiso, Heirloom Herb Seeds

Green Shiso, Heirloom Herb Seeds — Japan's Essential Culinary Herb With Mint-Basil-Anise Flavor

Green Shiso (Perilla frutescens) — also known as Perilla or Beefsteak Plant — is one of the most important culinary herbs in Japanese and Korean cooking, and one of the most rewarding herbs you can grow. The large, bright green leaves carry a complex, layered flavor somewhere between mint, basil, anise, and cinnamon — a combination that is genuinely unlike anything else in the herb garden. Wrap leaves around sushi or serve alongside sashimi as a traditional garnish; add to soups, tempura, and stir-fries; dry and sprinkle over rice; or use as a microgreen for a fast, flavorful harvest in just 16–22 days. Rich in calcium and iron, the leaves, flower buds, and seeds are all edible.

Compact plants grow 1–3 feet tall and just 1 foot wide — excellent for containers and small herb gardens. Full maturity in 60–85 days.

Why Grow Green Shiso?

• Essential Japanese and Korean culinary herb — irreplaceable in traditional Asian cooking
• Complex mint-basil-anise-cinnamon flavor — unlike anything else in the herb garden
• All parts edible — leaves, flower buds, and seeds all used in cooking
• Fast microgreen harvest — ready in just 16–22 days
• Rich in calcium and iron — nutritious as well as flavorful
• Open-pollinated heirloom — save seed year after year

Growing Notes

Cold stratify seeds before sowing — place seeds in a moist paper towel in the refrigerator for 1–3 months, or sow in pots and place outside against a north wall through winter. Keep soil moist. Start indoors 4–6 weeks before last frost or direct sow after frost danger has passed. Thin to 12 inches apart in full sun to part shade. Water consistently. Harvest leaves as needed; harvest flower buds for use as a spice at season's end.

Days to maturity: 60–85 days (full); 16–22 days (microgreen)
Packet size: 0.5 g / 200+ seeds
Type: Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, Annual
Plant height: 1–3 feet
Spacing: 9 inches (sq ft)
Sun: Full sun to part shade
USDA Zones: 1–11