Mint family
Labiatae
Sat-you-ree'a. Savory . About 30 species of aromatic herbs or small shrubs, distributed through the temperate regions of the world. The species below is used as an herb. Sometimes spelled Satureia .
Description
Stems usually square. Leaves opposite, ovalish or lance-shaped, the margins sometimes toothed. Flowers pink, white, or purplish, in whorls, in axillary or terminal racemes. Calyx 5-lobed, usually tubular. Corolla a narrow tube opening into 2 lips, upper lip 2-lobed and flat, lower lip 3-lobed and widely flaring. Stamens 4, in pairs.
How to Grow
Grown chiefly for its flavorful leaves; sometimes for its flowers. Easy to grow in average to dry soil. Sow seeds outdoors in early spring. This species prefers warm weather.
Satureja hortensis
Summer Savory
. To 18 in. (45 cm) high. Flowers pink, lavender, or white, in. (13 mm) long, in loose whorls, in spikes. Europe, naturalized in the U.S. Hardy annual.
