Perilla seeds

Perilla, also known as Green or Purple Shiso, Japanese parsley or Chinese basil, is both a leafy vegetable, a vegetable plant, medicinal, aromatic and ornamental. An uncategorizable and surprising plant, definitely worth a try! It is a tender Asian perennial, grown as an annual here, belonging to the mint family. So it is a distant cousin of Coleus, as well as mint and sage, with which it shares a remarkably aromatic foliage and a honey-bearing flowering. Its Latin name is Perilla frutescens. There are two main forms of Perilla, one with green leaves, and one with red leaves, sometimes referred to as "true Shiso". Some varieties with beautifully variegated foliage (Perilla Magilla Purple) are also available, mainly for ornamental purposes, although they can be perfectly used in cooking. This plant has a remarkable aroma, ranging from cinnamon, basil, lemon balm, cumin to green anise. All its parts are edible. Sowing is done from April to August in trays, for harvesting from May to September.