Last edited on October 16, 2026. View history

Perilla

Perilla frutescens

How to sow perilla: Direct seed, transplant seedlings, cuttings

Sun requirement for perilla: Plant in Full Sun

Perilla, or Beefsteak, is an upright, bushy annual to perennial plant (depending on the region) native to the Himalayas and Southeast Asia. Perilla is in the Mint (Lamiaceae) family and is related to basil and coleus. It is grown for it's edible leaves and seeds and as a medicinal and ornamental. Leaves are fragrant, ovate with serrated edges, and can be green, tinged with purple, or deep red (hence the name Beefsteak). Leaves have a pleasant sweetly spicy taste and can be added to salads and soups. Perilla is popular in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Nepalese and Indian cuisine. The plant is heat and drought-tolerant, but can become invasive. Deadhead spent flowers to prevent Perilla from self-sowing.

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Perilla facts

Lifespan

Annual living and reproducing in a single year or less

Height × spread

90cm × 45cm

Row Spacing

60cm
Optimal temperature 5–30 °C
FAO EcoCrop
Optimal rainfall 250–600 mm/year
FAO EcoCrop
Optimal soil pH 5.5–7.2
FAO EcoCrop

Crop cycle

80–150 days
FAO EcoCrop

Optimal light

clear skies to very bright
FAO EcoCrop

How members grow perilla

Sunniness

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Planted from

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Varieties of perilla

Image of shiso

shiso

Perilla frutescens var. crispa

Photos

Perilla crops

Perilla plantings

青じそ
青じそ
by bokunenjin
ao shiso
ao shiso
by bokunenjin
ao shiso
ao shiso
by bokunenjin
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Where perilla grow

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Perilla harvests

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Time to harvest

If sown now, expect a first harvest in about 80 to 150 days.

From the growing cycle in the FAO EcoCrop database, which is the same wherever it is grown.

Ecological requirements

Data from the FAO EcoCrop database for Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton

Family / Taxonomy Magnoliopsida
Asteridae
Lamiales
Labiatae
Life form herb
Life span annual
Habit erect
Optimal soil depth medium (50-150 cm)
Optimal soil texture medium, organic
Optimal soil fertility high
Optimal soil drainage well (dry spells)
Optimal soil salinity medium (4-10 dS/m)
Photoperiod short day (<12 hours)

Licensed under CC-BY-4.0.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) ECOCROP, the crop ecological requirements database. Version 1. https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/ecocrop. Accessed through the CGIAR Climate Action Data Hub, https://cgiar-climate-data-hub.github.io/catalog/ecocrop_1/.

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