Perilla, or beefsteak plant, is a mint-family herb whose big leaves are eaten in Korean cooking and whose seeds are pressed for perilla oil. Brought to the United States as an ornamental in the mid-1800s, it has escaped gardens and become a weed in several states. It is poisonous to cattle and horses.
Appearance
- Growth form
- An annual up to about 3 ft (90 cm) tall, with branching, 4-sided, lightly hairy stems that are often purplish.
- Leaves
- Large, soft, strongly scented leaves with coarse teeth, set in opposite pairs on long stalks. Color ranges from green to purplish brown.
- Flowers
- Small white to light purple flowers in spikelike clusters up to 6 in (15 cm) long.
- Flowering time
- August–October in Missouri
- Fruit
- Tiny round seeds, white to dark brown.
Look-alikes
ColeusColeus scutellarioides
Coleus leaves have rounded teeth and are often splashed with green, yellow, or purple, and its leaves and stems are thicker.
Why they get mixed upBoth are mint-family plants with square stems and opposite leaves, sometimes purple.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Woodland edges
- Pastures
- Roadsides
- Railroads and trails
- Gardens
- Range
- Native to Asia. in parts of the United States; in Missouri it grows mainly south of the Missouri River and in a few eastern counties.
- Preferred conditions
- In Missouri it grows in moist or dry wooded bottomlands, open valley pastures, and along trails, railroads, and roadsides, often forming dense patches.
- Flowering
Flowers Aug–Oct
Flowers Aug–Oct
Growing it
- Propagation
- Spreads only by seed, reseeding heavily each year. Unlike garden mints, it does not creep by runners.
- Toxicity
- Toxic to cattle, other , and horses, causing a breathing disorder known as "panting disease." Livestock usually avoid it but may eat it during drought or in overgrazed pastures. Handling the plant can cause a skin rash, and eating many seeds may cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Three varieties are recognized: Korean perilla (var. frutescens), grown for seeds and leaves; shiso (var. crispa), the Japanese herb; and lemon perilla (var. hirtella).
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Status
- Listed as an invasive species in Missouri, where the 2025 legislature passed a ban on selling it. Removing plants before they flower and set seed helps keep it from spreading.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- Also known as shiso, perilla mint, Chinese basil, and summer coleus. The leaves are a favorite garnish of sushi chefs.
- The name "rattlesnake weed" comes from the rattling sound of its dried seed capsules, and "beefsteak" from the darkest, steak-red forms.
- Red-leaved forms are used to color Japanese pickled plums.
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