🌿 Shiso / Perilla
Perilla frutescens
herbs annual herbaceous
🗺️ Zones
4-9
🧪 Soil pH
5.5-7.0
📏 Spacing
10-12 in. apart, 18-24 in. between rows
📅 Days to Maturity
60-70 days (from seed); harvest leaves at 40-50 days for culinary use
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Sushi garnish🍽️ sashimi🍽️ tempura🍽️ shiso pesto🍽️ umeboshi coloring🍽️ Korean kkaennip banchan"]
🤝 Companions (6)
🤝 tomatoes
Shiso repels tomato hornworms and some beetles with its strong aroma; both enjoy full sun and warm conditions — a classic Asian companion planting.
Shiso and basil create a powerful aromatic pest-repelling team; both are heat-loving herbs that thrive in similar conditions without competing.
🤝 corn
Shiso grows well between corn rows, where corn provides light shade during peak summer heat and shiso helps deter corn earworm with its strong scent.
🤝 cucumbers
Shiso deters cucumber beetles with its pungent aroma; both are warm-season annuals that grow vigorously together in full sun.
🤝 eggplants
Shiso repels flea beetles that commonly attack eggplants; the two plants have complementary heights with shiso filling the mid-story between eggplant rows.
🤝 peppers
Shiso deters aphids and spider mites from peppers; its vigorous growth doesn't shade peppers when planted to the north side of pepper rows.
⚠️ Keep Apart (0)
No antagonistic relationships recorded yet.
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains perillaldehyde, rosmarinic acid (potent anti-inflammatory), and luteolin. Rich in omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid). Traditional Kampo (Japanese) and TCM herb for colds, allergies, asthma, and food poisoning. Antihistamine, antimicrobial, and anti-anxiety properties. Perilla seed oil used for allergies and inflammation.