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How to Grow Savory: The Complete Herb Guide

Savory Herb With White Blooms

Savory’s white blooms.

Photo Credit
Antoniya Kadiyska
Botanical Name
Satureja spp.
Plant Type
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral to Slightly Alkaline
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
Purple
White
Hardiness Zone
5
6
7
8
9
10
Special Features
Attracts Bees
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Savory

Lauren Landers
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A reader described summer savory as one of her favorite herbs, which smells “like lasagna mixed with ancient nostalgia.” If you’d like to savor the flavor of savory, you’ll likely need to grow it yourself since it’s not sold in grocery stores. Our step-by-step planting guide will teach you how to do just that!

Although this old-time herb has been cultivated as an edible since at least ancient Greece, it’s rarely sold in food markets and can be hard to find at plant nurseries, too. However, both winter and summer savory are easy to grow at home.

Growing Savory

There are around 30 species of savory, but summer savory and winter savory are the most common types grown in home gardens.

  • Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) is most commonly grown. It’s a true annual herb with a slightly sweet and mild oregano-like flavor, described as a favorite all-around Italian seasoning. This tender herb typically grows to about 12 inches high and is often used in herbes de Provence blends, salami, sausages, lamb, poultry, soups, and stews. 
     
  • Winter savory (Satureja montana), or mountain savory, is a perennial, woody-stemmed herb that’s drought tolerant and winter hardy in zones 5 and above. Growing up to 18 inches tall, winter savory is not as sweet as summer savory. It has a more pungent, peppery flavor with a slightly piney taste; it pairs well with meat and bean dishes.

Both types belong to the Lamiaceae family, native to Southern Europe and other regions. This plant family also includes other culinary herbs, like oregano, sage, and mint; however, unlike mint, savories are not aggressive growers and are well-behaved in pots, small spaces, and mixed veggie, herb, and flower beds.

Beyond their edible use, savories of all sorts attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects with their summer-blooming flowers, and they make fantastic, pest-repelling companion plants. Just provide these fragrant herbs with plenty of sun, moderate amounts of water, and well-draining soil, and they’ll reward you with a flavorful harvest of herbs for drying, freezing, and fresh eating!

Bee on mountain savory flowers
Bee on the flowers of mountain savory. Credit: Uellue
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Planting

One or two savory plants will usually provide you with all the savory you need, so you may just want to purchase pre-started plants from local nurseries. However, winter and summer savory can be grown from seed too!

Growing Savory from Nursery Plants

  • Check savory plants carefully for signs of pests and disease before bringing them home.
  • Plant nursery started savories outdoors after your last spring frost date. Sunny, well-draining beds or 6- to 12-inch pots are suitable for both summer and winter savory.
  • Bury the plant’s root ball at the same depth the roots were growing in the nursery containers, firm the soil around your plant’s stems, add mulch, and water well.
  • If you’re growing multiple savory plants together, space individual plants at least 10- to 12-inches apart.
Blossoming savory in the garden
Blossoming savory in the garden. Credit: Martina Unbehauen

Growing Savory from Seeds

  • Start savory seeds indoors in spring, 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date.
  • Fill seed starting trays or pots with a pre-moistened seed starting mix and surface sow 2 seeds per pot or seedling cell.
  • Cover the seeds with a light dusting of seed starting mix or vermiculite, water well, and place them under a grow light. Savory seeds usually germinate in 2 to 3 weeks.
  • When the seedlings are 1- to 2-inches tall, thin out the weakest seedlings so that you’re left with one plant per pot. Continue to provide the seedlings with regular water and plenty of light.
  • After your last spring frost date, harden indoor-started seedlings off for 1 to 2 weeks, and then transplant them outdoors using the steps above.
  • If you want to extend your harvest of summer savory, succession sow additional plantings of savory seeds outdoors from late spring through mid-summer at 3 to 4 week intervals!

Growing

For best results, grow savory in sandy, well-draining gardens and amend your soil with compost before planting. Low-growing savories are often used as border, edging, or ground-covering plants in herb or flower gardens, but you can also companion plant them with beans, melons, onions, and other Mediterranean herbs to deter weevils, Mexican bean beetles, cabbage moths, and aphids!

Light

Both summer savory and winter savory grow best in full-sun locations that receive at least 6 hours of light per day. Savories also tolerate light shade, although they won’t be as productive.

Water

Summer savories need more water than winter savories, and container-grown and newly planted savories need more water than established garden plants. To avoid issues like root rot and drooping leaves, water drought-tolerant winter savory deeply when the top few inches of soil feel dry. However, provide summer savory with enough water to keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. 

Fertilizer

Savories generally don’t need fertilizer, although frequently harvested plants may benefit from a monthly dose of liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength. Working in an annual compost application around perennial savories in spring can help too!

Seasonal Care

Winter savory is a hardy plant that should survive winter, but summer savory is killed by frost. Bringing potted savories into a protected, frost-free location in the fall can extend your harvest season; however, you may be able to harvest winter savory outdoors year-round in warm areas. These semi-evergreen plants keep their leaves all winter long in mild climates.

Summer savory usually doesn’t need pruning, but winter savory can become woody over time without a trim in early spring. If you live in a cold climate where savory drops its leaves in winter, wait until your plants produce new leafy growth in spring, and then prune only the stems that remain bare, damaged, or dead. Pruning in this manner with ensure you only remove dead stems, not dormant ones!

Propagation

Savories can be propagated from store-bought and homegrown seeds, or softwood stem cuttings taken from actively growing tender stems in spring. Simply dip 4- to 6-inch long stem cuttings in rooting hormone, plant them in moist substrate, and provide bright indirect light and regular water until the stems root. If you’d like to gather your own savory seeds for planting, allow your plants to flower and then follow these tips.

  1. Let savory flowers dry on the plant.
  2. Shake the dried flowers over a paper bag to collect the savory seeds.
  3. Bring the seeds indoors and leave the bag open in a warm, dry spot for a few days so any remaining moisture can evaporate.
  4. Package the fully dried seeds in labeled and dated envelopes, and store them in a cool, dry place until spring!

Harvesting

Savories grown from seed can be harvested when 6 inches tall, while store-bought plants can be harvested immediately. You can harvest savories little by little as needed for recipes, or you can gather larger quantities of stems for freezing and drying. Don’t harvest more than 1/3 of your plant’s stems in one go.

Harvest savory in the morning to get the best flavor, just as the plant’s flower buds are starting to form. Cutting these plants back right before flowering and harvesting regularly encourages savories to produce a new flush of growth. You can harvest edible savory flowers if you allow your plants to bloom!

Harvested bunch of summer savory (Satureja Hortensis)
Harvested bunch of summer savory (Satureja Hortensis). Credit: Simonidadj

Storing Savory

Fresh savory lasts about a week in the fridge if you wrap the cut stems in a slightly damp paper towel and store them in a plastic container. You can also freeze savory whole or chopped, hang dry it in bundles, and store the dried leaves in spice jars until you need them.

Savory can be used, fresh or dried, in any recipe that calls for sage, marjoram, thyme, or rosemary. It’s an all-in-one Italian seasoning! Winter and summer savory can be used interchangeably in most recipes. While savory is usually added to meat and bean dishes, it can also be infused into oils, vinegar, or butter!

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Pests/Diseases

Savory’s strong scent naturally repels most pests, but these herbs can still suffer from a few issues!

  • Aphids sometimes target savory, but they can be controlled with weekly applications of organic soap spray.
  • Root rot can strike when savories are overwatered or grown in soggy soil. Keeping savory in pots or raised beds in soggy gardens, and watering only when needed is the best way to prevent this issue!

Wit and Wisdom

  • Savory is known as the “bean herb” because its flavor accentuates the taste of beans and makes them easier to digest.
  • According to legend, the name Satureja is a reference to satyrs – a half man, half goat being from Greek mythology that famously savored life’s pleasures!
  • During the Medieval period, savory was used as a “strewing herb,” and it was strewn across floors to deter pests and make rooms smell a little less Medieval!
Herbs
About The Author

Lauren Landers

Lauren is a gardener, writer, and public speaker with over a decade of experience helping others learn about gardening, homesteading, and sustainable living. Read More from Lauren Landers
 

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