The illustrated growing guide
Winter Savory
Satureja montana
Family Lamiaceae
Est. zones 5-9
The perennial, evergreen answer to summer savory — a tough little Mediterranean subshrub with sharp, peppery-piney leaves you can pick year-round for beans, sausage, and stuffing. Its late white flowers hum with bees, and it clips into a tidy fragrant edging. Drought- and neglect-proof in lean, well-drained soil.
Full Sun
Low water
Slow growth
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will winter savory suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what winter savory actually needs.
Hardy inZones 5-9Winter Savory at a glance
Common winter savory problems
- Almost none
- Root Rot in wet clay
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow winter savory: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate winter savory
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The year
What winter savory asks for, month by month.
The winter savory year, month by month
BloomHarvestWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Harvest — picking time — check ripeness every few days.
The winter savory year as text
- Jan harvest
- Feb harvest
- Mar harvest
- Apr harvest
- May harvest
- Jun harvest
- Jul harvest
- Aug bloom, harvest
- Sep harvest
- Oct harvest
- Nov harvest
- Dec harvest
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Winter Savory in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
What winter savory is grown for
✓ Commonly eaten
Harvesting & storing winter savory
Sharp, peppery-piney leaves year-round (evergreen in mild winters) — the perennial 'bean herb'.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of winter savory, ruled as a catalogue.
Best winter savory varieties & cultivars
Species; 'Nana' (dwarf); creeping savory (S. spicigera)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to winter savoryyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Winter Savory questions, answered straight.
Is winter savory safe for kids and pets?
Winter Savory is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest winter savory?
Sharp, peppery-piney leaves year-round (evergreen in mild winters) — the perennial 'bean herb'.
How do you propagate winter savory?
Division or seed.
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Elsewhere
Where winter savory sits in the library.
Comfrey
Lavender
Rosemary
Anise Hyssop