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Purple Shiso is a warm-season annual herb that brings vibrant wine-colored foliage and complex Asian flavors to any garden. Native to India and China, this heirloom perilla grows into a bushy plant with deeply textured leaves reaching up to 3 inches tall, delivering an intriguing blend of sweet, savory, and citrusy notes that make it a treasured sushi garnish and versatile culinary staple. Ready to harvest in 60-70 days, it thrives in zones 5-11 and adapts well to full sun growing conditions. The flavor complexity and striking appearance make it as much a conversation piece as a kitchen workhorse.
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5-11
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Purple Shiso delivers flavor complexity that belies its humble appearance, sweet, savory, and citrusy notes dance together on the palate, a profile rarely found in other herbs. The wine-colored, deeply wrinkled leaves are ornamental enough to earn space in a decorative garden bed while simultaneously fulfilling serious culinary duties in Japanese and broader Asian cooking. Its rapid growth cycle from seed to harvestable plant in just two months means you can have fresh, vibrant leaves for your kitchen within a season.
Purple Shiso shines as a sushi garnish and wrapping leaf, lending its distinctive flavor to Japanese cuisine. The leaves work beautifully in pickling recipes, fresh salads, and as a fragrant garnish for soups and rice dishes. Its sweet-savory-citrusy character makes it equally at home in herbal teas or as a unique flavor accent in cocktails. Home cooks prize it for adding authentic Asian flavors to their kitchen without relying on commercially prepared pastes or powders.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Press seeds lightly onto moist seed-starting mix and keep at 65-75°F. Shiso seeds germinate slowly and irregularly, so maintain consistent moisture and patience. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge.
Harden off seedlings over 7-10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant outdoors only after the soil has warmed and all danger of frost has completely passed, typically when nighttime temperatures stay above 50°F. Space plants 12-18 inches apart to allow room for the bushy growth habit to develop.
In warm climates (zones 9-11), direct sow seeds outdoors after soil has warmed to at least 65°F. Sow directly where you want plants to grow, pressing seeds onto moist soil surface.
Begin harvesting leaves once the plant is established, typically 60-70 days from sowing or once it reaches 6-8 inches tall. Pinch off individual leaves from the top of stems or cut entire stems just above a leaf node to encourage bushier regrowth. Harvest in the morning after dew dries for the best flavor and texture. Leaves are most tender and flavorful when young; while mature leaves are usable, younger growth offers superior taste and texture for sushi and fresh applications.
Pinch back the growing tips of young plants once they reach 4-6 inches tall to encourage bushy, branching growth rather than a single central stem. Continue to pinch out flower buds as they appear if you wish to extend the leaf-harvesting season, as flowering diverts energy from foliage production. Regular pinching and harvesting naturally shape the plant into an attractive mounded form.
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“Purple Shiso, also called Red Shiso or Perilla Mint, traces its lineage to the mountainous regions of India and China, where it has been cultivated for centuries as both a culinary and medicinal herb. This heirloom variety represents a living thread connecting modern home gardeners to ancient Asian food traditions. Seed companies like True Leaf Market have preserved and distributed this non-GMO variety, ensuring that gardeners worldwide can grow the same plant that has graced Asian tables for generations.”