Satureja spicigera

The creeping or prostrate savory, in Latin Satureja spicigera, is a plant that is both very honey-bearing, aromatic, medicinal, and culinary. Covering the ground with its long stems adorned with small, very aromatic dark green foliage, it also offers a beautiful white and honey-bearing flowering at the beginning of summer. In cuisine, its foliage is used to pleasantly flavour stews and grilled dishes. It is also a medicinal plant with recognized properties. Very comfortable in slightly arid and sun-drenched places, Caucasian savory finds its place in ornamental gardens, bordering flower beds, or in rockeries.

The creeping savory belongs to the family Lamiaceae or Labiatae, just like the thyme with which it is closely related. This botanical species originates from Western Asia, Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus, where it spreads in full sun on dry and eroded slopes as well as in rocky scree. Its cold resistance is excellent (down to -15°C (5°F)), but in well-drained soils. It also tolerates dry to very dry summers once well rooted. Its foliage persists in winter.

This is a perennial plant with woody base whose branches, arched towards the ground, form a spread-out tuft about 15-20cm (6-8in) high and 40-50cm (16-20in) wide. Its hairy, square-sectioned stems bear small, opposite, leathery and shiny, linear, dark green leaves that are very fragrant when crushed, with a spicy aroma. Flowering generally occurs in June in the south of France, but from July to August further north. At the ends of the stems, inflorescences in whorls or clusters of white flowers with 2 lips are born, which are heavily visited by bees. Outside its preferred regions, savory does not age well: we recommend renewing your plantings every 5 years.

Satureja spicigera is cultivated like thyme, lavender, rosemary, and marjoram, with which it can be perfectly associated on a dry slope or in a very sunny rockery. Pot cultivation is possible in a loose and well-drained soil mix. You can arrange the border of a gravelled alley by alternating, for example, savory plants with different varieties of thyme (Thymus capitata, ciliatus, herba-barona), white germander (Teucrium chamaedrys), small sedums, cotton lavenders, etc. Pruning once a year, in September, will be enough to keep it looking neat. One of the charms of this type of arrangement lies in the scents that all these plants diffuse after a hot day: they blend in a complex fragrance to be savored with closed eyes: intense, captivating, unforgettable, it constitutes the quintessence of the Mediterranean countryside.

In cuisine: savory leaves are harvested in the morning. Wait until the plant is at least one year old. For preservation, harvest the leaves at the beginning of flowering and dry them to retain their flavour. They are used to flavor salads, sauces, stews, legumes, and grilled dishes. The essential oil of Satureja contained in the leaves has antiseptic, stimulating, and digestive properties.

In the vegetable garden or garden, savory repels aphids. It pairs well with peas, beans, and broad beans, protecting them from insects. But keep it away from sage, turnips, and radishes.