Other mint-family herbs
Check flowers, stem and leaf characters; do not infer edibility from a square stem.
Use the botanical sourceCulinary reference
Perilla.
Perilla frutescens
Also found as Shiso · Beefsteak plant · Kkaennip
An Asian culinary mint-family annual with broad aromatic leaves and cultivated green or purple forms.
Sources checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Before any gathering or use
Color and aroma alone do not identify perilla. Keep it out of livestock grazing areas.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 13,833
- People who recorded it
- 7,374
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- Aug–Oct
- Records span
- 1985–2026
| January | 293 |
|---|---|
| February | 244 |
| March | 316 |
| April | 563 |
| May | 527 |
| June | 897 |
| July | 1364 |
| August | 1974 |
| September | 4829 |
| October | 2029 |
| November | 502 |
| December | 282 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Opposite broad, wrinkled, toothed leaves.
- 02
Hairy square stems, green or purple.
- 03
Small pale two-lipped flowers on slender spikes.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Himalayan and Southeast Asian origin; cultivated and introduced elsewhere.
Watch the plant stage
Tender leaves during active growth on a confirmed culinary plant.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Documented use & care
Parts discussed: Leaf
Use a correctly named culinary cultivar for leaf seasoning.
Care for the patch
Avoid seed escape where locally invasive; grow in a managed garden.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- NC State Extension · Perilla frutescensBotanical description, range and documented use
Checked 9 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction