Two different culinary herbs share the name savory. Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) is an annual with a lighter flavour. Winter savory (Satureja montana) is a woodier perennial and tastes stronger.
- Give savory a sunny site with well-drained soil.
- Sow or transplant at the time and spacing on the packet; cultivars and the two species do not all mature at one fixed height or day count.
- Water young plants consistently. Established winter savory tolerates drier soil better than a new seedling.
- Pinch shoot tips to encourage branching. Harvest leafy stems before or as flowering begins for a tender kitchen crop.
- Leave some summer-savory flowers to mature if you want to save seed. Winter savory can also be divided or grown from cuttings.
Rinse correctly identified leaves under cool running water before cooking or eating them. Savory is traditional with beans and potatoes, but it is flavouring—not a proven treatment for digestive problems.