Shiso (Perilla)
Perilla frutescens
シソ
Lamiaceae
Perilla frutescens is a south-Chinese annual semi-naturalised in
Edible Container Wildlife value: medium Maintenance: low annual
Planting calendar (Tokyo baseline)
Pick a region in the header to shift the window.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planting | ||||||||||||
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruiting |
Tokyo baseline: months 4, 5
Growing requirements
| Light | sun → part shade |
|---|---|
| Water | medium |
| Soil | any well-drained garden soil |
| Hardiness | Tokyo lowland |
| Container | Yes · Min container size: 8 L |
| Maintenance | low |
| Common issues | flea beetles on seedlings |
Where to source
Seedlings, divisions, or seed. Native plant suppliers in Japan are the right starting point.
- Search Japanese suppliers for seedlings · native-plant suppliers
About this plant
Perilla frutescens is a south-Chinese annual semi-naturalised in
Japanese gardens for centuries — happily self-seeds in any sunny
corner, providing fresh leaves all summer for sashimi garnish,
tempura, and shiso juice. Red shiso is the colouring agent for
umeboshi (salt plum); green shiso is the standard culinary herb.
Indifferent about soil; just keep it watered. A productive
container plant on a sunny balcony.
Usage
Garden / balcony herb. Red shiso for umeboshi season (June);
green shiso for ongoing summer cuisine.
Practical info
| Native | No |
|---|---|
| Edible | Yes |
| Edible parts | young leaves (sashimi garnish, tempura, juice); flower spikes (穂紫蘇); seeds (cured in salt) |
| Wildlife value | medium |
| Attracts |
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Sources
Primary references, publications, and observation data this page draws on. How sources are picked is described in About the data .
- 農林水産省 シソの栽培暦
- Catalog editor (niwa, 2026-05)