Japanese Red Leaved Shiso Seeds (Perilla frutescens) Unique red leaves, bold flavor for pickling, sushi, salads, and gourmet gardens

Minimum: 50+ Seeds

Bring an exotic touch of Japanese tradition and culinary artistry to your garden with Japanese Red Leaved Shiso (Perilla frutescens), also known as red perilla, akajiso, or beefsteak plant. With its stunning deep burgundy-red foliage, rich fragrance, and unforgettable taste, shiso is a must-grow for adventurous gardeners, gourmet chefs, and herbal enthusiasts. Celebrated across Asia for its culinary, medicinal, and ornamental value, Red Shiso offers the perfect balance of beauty and utility—bringing bold flavor to your kitchen and elegance to your garden beds.

🌱 Plant Description

Japanese Red Shiso is an annual herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae) that grows 18–24 inches tall with striking serrated leaves that shimmer in shades of deep red and purple. The color intensifies in full sun, making this herb an ornamental highlight as much as a culinary essential. Its fragrance is unique—spicy, earthy, and somewhat reminiscent of cinnamon, basil, and anise combined. By late summer, shiso produces clusters of tiny pink-to-lavender flowers, which attract bees and beneficial insects, further enriching your garden ecosystem.

🍴 Culinary Uses

Red Shiso is a cornerstone of Japanese and Korean cuisine, where it is cherished for both its flavor and its natural coloring properties. Some classic and modern uses include:

• Pickling: Essential in making umeboshi (pickled plums), where its red pigment gives the fruit their signature ruby hue.

• Sushi & Garnish: Shredded fresh leaves add zest and aroma to sushi rolls, sashimi platters, and noodle dishes.

• Salads & Wraps: Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or used to wrap rice, fish, or grilled meats.

• Shiso Juice & Teas: Steeped into refreshing summer drinks or brewed as a calming herbal tea.

• Coloring agent: Its natural anthocyanins are used to dye foods a vibrant pink-red, from pickles to drinks.

• Fusion cuisine: Pairs beautifully in creative dishes—try shiso pesto, infused vinegar, cocktails, or even ice cream.

🌿 Medicinal & Herbal Benefits

In traditional Asian medicine, shiso has long been considered a healing herb. Red shiso in particular is packed with antioxidants, anthocyanins, and essential oils. It has been used for:

• Supporting digestion and easing nausea.

• Acting as a natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent.

• Helping to relieve seasonal allergies.

• Providing high levels of vitamins A, C, and K along with iron and calcium.

Shiso’s versatility as both a kitchen herb and a medicinal plant makes it a valuable addition to herbal gardens and wellness-focused growing spaces.

🌸 Garden & Ornamental Value

Shiso isn’t just useful, it’s gorgeous. The deep red foliage contrasts beautifully with green herbs and vegetables in the garden. Its ornamental quality makes it ideal for edible landscaping, container gardening, or mixed borders. In permaculture designs, shiso also contributes to biodiversity by feeding pollinators and attracting beneficial insects.

🌱 Growing Information

• Planting Depth: ¼ inch

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade (full sun intensifies leaf color)

• Soil: Well-drained, fertile soil enriched with compost

• Germination: 7–14 days at 70–75°F

• Spacing: 12–18 inches apart

• Maturity: 70–85 days

• Harvesting: Harvest leaves when young and tender for best flavor. Pinch flower buds to extend leaf production.

Shiso can reseed itself in mild climates, making it a reliable annual addition to gardens once established.

🌍 Why Grow Japanese Red Leaved Shiso?

Japanese Red Shiso offers a rare combination of culinary delight, medicinal wellness, and garden beauty. Whether you are crafting traditional Japanese pickles, experimenting with gourmet recipes, or designing a visually striking herb garden, Red Shiso delivers on every level. Its bold color, complex flavor, and health benefits make it a staple for chefs, herbalists, and gardeners who want to grow something truly special.

Grow Japanese Red Leaved Shiso and enjoy a unique herb that brings color, flavor, and tradition straight from the garden to your table!