How Do You Grow Shiso Perilla?
January 2, 2023
The Shiso Perilla or the Beefsteak Perilla (Perilla frutescens) is an annual edible leaf from the mint family. You’ll popularly see this leaf being consumed in traditional Korean and Japanese dishes as a staple vegetable. There are two types of Perilla leaves, green and red.
The green Perilla leaves have a lot more flavor than the red one and almost tastes like a combination of different spices such as cinnamon, basil, anise, and citrus. It’s amazing to have this in your kitchen and your garden - you’ll be getting a burst of flavor from the leaves alone! It’s fairly easy to grow your own Perilla leaves as this plant is highly resistant to heat and drought. There are some things to keep in mind when you decide to add this plant to your garden. The Shiso Perilla is an aggressive plant that can grow as quickly as 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide in a matter of weeks. A maintaining practice to apply to control this is to prune the plant regularly and pinch the flowers to avoid the seeds from overspreading.
