How to Plant and Grow Savory

Herb garden staples like basil, rosemary, and thyme get a lot of attention, but savory is a somewhat neglected herb. That’s a shame because the herb packs a delightful peppery flavor punch. It’s also drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and easy to grow. Depending on the type, savory can be grown as an ornamental plant or an aromatic addition to an herb garden or French kitchen garden.

The most common types of savory are Satureja hortensis (summer savory) and Satureja montana (winter savory), but there are a few other variations. Summer savory, an annual, has a fine, feathery texture and bright green foliage that turns a striking shade of bronze-purple in late summer. Winter savory is a perennial plant with stiff foliage and a more pungent flavor. In the kitchen, savory is an easy substitute for marjoram, rosemary, sage, or thyme.

Where to Plant Savory

Savory has long been grown in edible gardens or as a companion plant to beans, onions, and melons. Not only is it a useful aromatic herb, it also deters pests (like cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles, and aphids) and deer.

Both summer and winter savory require full sun and well-drained soil. Beyond that, they have slightly different preferences. Winter savory is a woody perennial that can be cut back after the growing season is finished. Summer savory lives for only one year but has been known to self-seed. Either would make a delightful addition to cottage gardens, container gardens, and flower beds. Savory is also an obvious choice for a Mediterranean garden or herb garden where complementary fragrances can mingle.

How and When to Plant Savory

Summer savory is easy to grow from seed planted directly in the garden or started indoors about 6 weeks before the last anticipated frost. Choose a planting location that receives full sun and has moist, well-drained soil. Place your seeds 12 to 18 inches apart and sow them shallowly—only 1/8 inch deep—as light helps the seeds germinate. Sow a new crop of savory every 3 to 4 weeks to ensure a continuous supply of fresh foliage.

Nursery-grown plants (or those started indoors) can be planted in late spring or early summer after a hardening-off period (1 to 2 weeks). Dig a hole approximately the same size as the planting container. Remove the plant and loosen the roots gently with your fingers. Place the plant in the hole and backfill with the displaced soil, tamping down lightly to remove air pockets. Water well.

Savory Care Tips

Savory is native to the warm temperate regions of southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa. It fares best in environments that mimic those climates as well as full sun and well-drained soil.

Light

Both winter and summer savory require full sun exposure with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.

Soil and Water

Winter savory prefers neutral to slightly alkaline (6.5 to 7.5 pH) well-drained sandy soil that is dry to moderately moist. Summer savory fares better in rich, loamy, well-drained soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline (6.5 to 7.5 pH).

Both summer and winter savory are fairly drought-tolerant once established. Water summer savory just enough to keep the soil evenly moist during the summer months. Winter savory prefers occasional deep watering over regular light watering. In the absence of rainfall, water once or twice a week and allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Temperature and Humidity

Both summer and winter savory are sun-loving plants that tolerate high humidity and prefer temperatures between 55˚ and 85˚ Fahrenheit. Winter savory can survive temperatures as low as 25˚F but should be protected or brought inside in lower temperatures. Summer savory will die with the first frost.

Fertilizer

If grown in soils rich with organic matter, savory needs little if any fertilization. However, if you regularly harvest your crop, an occasional application of balanced liquid fertilizer in the summer months will encourage vigorous growth.

Pruning

As an annual, summer savory does not need pruning. However, regular harvesting will encourage new growth. You should also trim away dead, dry, or yellowing leaves as they appear. At the end of the summer savory season (in late fall), use scissors or pruning shears to cut your summer savory plant to just above the ground.  

To keep winter savory robust, harvest regularly and trim spent blossoms, yellowing leaves, or diseased branches. Also, as winter savory gets older, it develops woody growth that produces foliage with poor flavor. Prune away the woody stems to encourage young, vigorous stems to develop.

Potting and Repotting

Both summer and winter savory work beautifully in containers. Choose a bright, sunny location and look for a container that is at least 10 inches deep and 6 to 10 inches wide. Plant your savory seeds or seedlings in a moist, well-drained potting mix. 

Container-grown savory (both summer and winter) may require more frequent watering and feeding. Water deeply at least once or twice a week. Savory can handle a little drought but don’t allow it to dry out completely. Feed your container-grown savory with a balanced liquid fertilizer regularly (according to package directions) during the summer growing season.

If winters in your climate fall below 50˚F, overwinter your potted winter savory in an unheated garage or protected space. Plan to repot your container-grown winter savory every 2 to 3 years or whenever it outgrows its pot.

Pests and Problems

Savory has no major issues with pests or diseases. It even helps repel the common pests (like cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles, and aphids) that plague other plants. That said, overly wet or waterlogged soils can cause root or crown rot.

How to Propagate Savory

Savory grows easily from seeds, which you can collect from your spent summer savory plants at the end of the season. Just pull up the old plant, carefully shake out the seeds into a container, and allow the seeds to dry in the sunlight. Sow the seeds immediately or store them in a cool, dry place for up to one year.

The easiest way to propagate winter savory is via softwood cuttings taken in spring or semi-ripe cuttings taken in late summer or early fall. Regardless of type, use sharp, sterile shears to take a 4- to 6-inch cutting from a healthy section of new growth. Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting and dip it in rooting hormone powder. Plant the dipped end in a prepared pot filled with a moist 1:1 mix of compost and perlite. Water well and place in a warm location with bright, indirect light. Keep the soil evenly moist until roots are established (about 4 to 6 weeks).

Types of Savory

Summer Savory

Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) is an annual that has narrow green leaves and spikes of white or pink flowers in summer. It grows 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Summer savory is typically harvested in the summer from seeds planted in early spring. In some climates, it can be harvested within two months of sowing. There are some (somewhat rare) cultivars of summer savory to try if you're lucky enough to find them. These include some that are more peppery (Satureja hortensis ‘Pikanta’), more aromatic (Satureja hortensis 'Aromata'), or more compact (Satureja hortensis 'Compact').

Winter Savory

Winter savory (Satureja montana) is a low-growing, shrubby perennial that provides a strong, spicy flavor to meats. It bears pinkish flowers in summer and grows 16 inches tall and 8 inches wide in zones 5-8.

Lemon Savory

Lemon savory (Satureja montana citriodora) is a variation of winter savory with a sweeter, more delicate aroma. The mounding perennial bears lavender summer flowers and is hardy in zones 5-8.

Pink Savory

Pink savory (Satureja thymbra) is a low-growing perennial that bears dark green foliage and purple-pink flowers from spring to early summer (in zones 7-11). Pink savory (also known as whorled savory, Roman hyssop, and savory of Crete) is less common than winter and summer savory. Pink savory is highly aromatic and spicy with overtones of oregano and thyme.

Creeping Savory

Creeping savory (Satureja spicigera) is a low-growing, woody perennial with bright green foliage and tiny white summer flowers. It tends to grow about 3 to 4 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide in zones 6-9. This growth habit makes it an excellent choice for rock gardens, borders, and landscape edges that call for creeping groundcovers. Creeping savory leaves have a strong, spicy flavor (much like winter savory).

Companion Plants for Savory

Green Beans

Green beans are so easy to grow, they are a popular choice for kids or first-time vegetable gardeners. There are two common types—bush beans and pole beans—each with different forms but similar growing requirements. In general, beans are tender annuals that prefer fertile, well-drained soil and full sun. When grown near bean vines, savory can improve the growth and flavor of homegrown beans. Savory’s strong scent can also repel a variety of common bean pests, including Mexican bean beetles.

Lavender

Like savory, lavender is a Mediterranean herb that thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Lavender is hardy in zones 5-9 and grows best in neutral to alkaline soil with a pH of 6.5 to 8.2. Before planting, test your soil and make amendments if necessary. In the garden, the calming scent of lavender pairs beautifully with the herbaceous aroma of savory. Even better, both plants are deer-resistant and a major draw for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Lavender Cotton

Lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) is neither lavender nor cotton. It is a rugged Mediterranean herb grown for its attractive silver foliage. The low-growing hedge prefers full sun and well-drained, gritty soil in zones 6-9. It is often found growing in rock gardens and formal knot gardens because it stands up well to frequent trimming. Lavender cotton has a pungent aroma (similar to a strong oregano or woody camphor) that repels rabbits and deer.

Onions

No edible garden would be complete without onions. From classic white onions to tender green onions, Alliums are essential elements in countless recipes. They also require little space to produce a substantial harvest. Like savory, onions require full sun and well-drained soil. Despite a reputation for being fussy, most varieties are easy to grow in zones 4-9. To make it easier on yourself, start with onion sets and plant savory nearby. Savory plants repel many of the common pests that plague Alliums. Some gardeners also believe that onions grown near savory have better flavor.

Salvia

Perennial salvia (which tends to be shrubbier than annual salvia), is a bewitching herbaceous plant that blooms in a wide spectrum of colors. Like savory, most salvias are easy to grow, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant. The fragrant, showy form of salvia makes them an excellent choice for cottage gardens, formal gardens, and containers in zones 3-10. Salvias are also quite popular with pollinators (especially hummingbirds).