Red Perilla Shiso
Red Perilla Shiso grow into decent sized plants (to 70cm) with wide, deep purple leaves. The dark ruby leaves of this sharply flavoured Asian herb have nicely frilled edges. They look similar to stinging nettle leaves without the prickles.
Grow as a bright-red micro-green, or let the plants mature and enjoy the leaves in pho, salad rolls, or other dishes. Shiso is wonderful in sushi, and it pairs with coriander, mint, Thai basil and fresh lettuce leaves.
Shiso has a very similar growing season to basil, and performs just as well in containers as in the garden bed. Provide full sun and well drained soil.
Sow – Sow two weeks after last frost date or when soil warms. Around October to mid December. (COOL CLIMATE)
Spacing – 30cm
Perilla frutescens var. crispa, also known by its Japanese name shiso, is a cultigen of Perilla frutescens, a herb in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is native to the mountainous regions of China and India, but is now found worldwide. The plant occurs in several forms, as defined by the characteristics of their leaves, including red, green, bicolor, and ruffled. Shiso is perennial and may be cultivated as an annual in temperate climates.
