Satureja

Satureja species may be annual or perennial. They are low-growing herbs and subshrubs, reaching heights of 15–50 cm (5.9–19.7 in).

The leaves are 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) long, with flowers forming in whorls on the stem, white to pale pink-violet.

Satureja species are food plants for the larva of some Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Caterpillars of the moth Coleophora bifrondella feed exclusively on winter savory (S. montana).

Savory may be grown purely for ornamental purposes; members of the genus need sun and well-drained soil.

Dried summer savory leaves

Both summer savory (Satureja hortensis) and winter savory (Satureja montana) are used to flavor food. The former is preferred by cooks but as an annual is only available in summer; winter savory is an evergreen perennial.

Savory plays an important part in Armenian, Georgian, Bulgarian and Italian cuisine, particularly when cooking beans. It is also used to season the traditional Acadian stew known as fricot. Savory is also a key ingredient in sarmale, a stuffed cabbage dish in traditional Romanian cuisine. The modern spice mixture Herbes de Provence has savory as one of the principal ingredients.

In Azerbaijan, savory is often incorporated as a flavoring in black tea.

Satureja subspicata

• Satureja adamovicii Šilic – Balkans
• Satureja aintabensis P.H.Davis – Turkey
• Satureja amani P.H.Davis – Turkey
• Satureja atropatana Bunge – Iran
• Satureja avromanica Maroofi – Iran
• Satureja bachtiarica Bunge – Iran
• Satureja boissieri Hausskn. ex Boiss. – Turkey, Iran
• Satureja bzybica Woronow – Caucasus
• Satureja × caroli-paui G.López – Spain (S. innota × S. montana)
• Satureja cilicica P.H.Davis – Turkey
• Satureja coerulea Janka – Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey
• Satureja cuneifolia Ten – Spain, Italy, Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Iraq
• Satureja × delpozoi Sánchez-Gómez, J.F.Jiménez & R.Morales – Spain (S. cuneifolia × S. intricata var. gracilis)
• Satureja edmondii Briq. – Iran
  • A recent study found the essential oils of Satureja edmondii have antimicrobial properties and can protect food from S. aureus.[3] The test was conducted on commercial soup products.[3]
• Satureja × exspectata G.López – Spain (S. intricata var. gracilis × S. montana)
• Satureja fukarekii Šilic – Yugoslavia
• Satureja hellenica Halácsy – Greece
• Satureja hortensis L. – summer savory – Italy, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, Crimea, Caucasus, Altai Republic, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, western Himalayas; naturalized in western Mediterranean, Persian Gulf sheikdoms, Cuba, Dominican Republic, scattered locations in United States
  • The heterogeneous mixture of the Satureja hortensis L. essential oil in water serves as a natural herbicide. The addition of this mixture inhibits the root elongation of weeds which reduces the weed's root-to-shoot ratio. This further reduces the weed's cell division and inhibits its germination, growth, and physiological processes.[4]
• Satureja horvatii Šilic – Greece, Yugoslavia
• Satureja icarica P.H.Davis – Greek Islands
• Satureja innota (Pau) Font Quer – Spain
• Satureja intermedia C.A.Mey. – Iran, Caucasus
• Satureja intricata Lange – Spain
• Satureja isophylla Rech.f. – Iran
• Satureja kallarica Jamzad – Iran
• Satureja kermanshahensis Jamzad – Iran
• Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad – Iran
  • Essential oils of Satureja khuzistanica have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties which can be useful in medical treatments.[5] A recent study found that higher concentrations of essential oils of Satureja khuzistanica helped reduce adverse effects of traumatic brain injuries in rats.[5]
• Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. – Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia
• Satureja laxiflora K.Koch – Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Caucasus
• Satureja linearifolia (Brullo & Furnari) Greuter – Cyrenaica region of Libya
• Satureja macrantha C.A.Mey. – Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Caucasus
• Satureja metastasiantha Rech.f. – Iraq
• Satureja montana L. – winter savory – southern Europe, Turkey, Syria
• Satureja mutica Fisch. & C.A.Mey. – Caucasus, Iran, Turkmenistan
• Satureja nabateorum Danin & Hedge – Jordan
• Satureja × orjenii Šilic – Yugoslavia (S. horvatii × S. montana)
• Satureja pallaryi J.Thiébaut – Syria
• Satureja parnassica Heldr. & Sart. ex Boiss. – Greece, Turkey
• Satureja pilosa Velen. – Italy, Greece, Bulgaria
• Satureja rumelica Velen. – Bulgaria
• Satureja sahendica Bornm. – Iran
• Satureja salzmannii (Kuntze) P.W.Ball – Morocco, Spain
• Satureja spicigera (K.Koch) Boiss. – Turkey, Iran, Caucasus
• Satureja spinosa L. – Turkey, Greek Islands including Crete
• Satureja subspicata Bartl. ex Vis. – Austria, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Italy
• Satureja taurica Velen. – Crimea
• Satureja thymbra L. – Libya, southeastern Europe from Sardinia to Turkey; Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine
• Satureja thymbrifolia Hedge & Feinbrun – Israel, Saudi Arabia
• Satureja visianii Šilic. – Yugoslavia
• Satureja wiedemanniana (Avé-Lall.) Velen. – Turkey

The etymology of the Latin word "satureia" is unclear. Speculation that it is related to saturare,[6] to satyr,[6] or to za'atar[7] is not well supported. The ancient Hebrew name is Tzatrah צתרה.