Shiso is an annual culinary herb, grown for the flavor it brings to the kitchen, ready to harvest about 70 days after planting. Notably, it stands up to deer and handles dry spells once it's established. Its summer flowers are a modest draw for honeybees, even though the harvest is the prize.
Shiso — the short answer
Shiso: full sun, pH 5.5–7.5, about 70 days to maturity.
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Converted from FAO ECOCROP
- Days to Maturity
- 70 days
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 32°F
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Shiso on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether shiso actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score shiso against your land's real conditions.
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What Shiso is
Shiso grows as an annual and reaches around two feet at maturity. It blooms white in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
Mature height, bloom period, flower colour and deer resistance: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Shiso
Shiso is ready to harvest about 70 days after planting. Shiso does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 1,400 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 80 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
Grown as an annual — see the growing season
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Full Sun
Converted from FAO ECOCROP
Drainage
well (dry spells)
FAO ECOCROP
Frost Kill Temperature
32°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Days to Maturity
70 days
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
GDD Required
1400+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Mature Height
2 ft
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Frost-Free Days
80+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant shiso in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Match the soil
Shiso prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water while it roots in
Water deeply while shiso establishes, letting the soil dry between soakings; once its roots are in, it rides out dry spells on its own. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Harvest at maturity
Shiso is ready about 70 days after planting. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Snip sprigs as you need them — regular cutting keeps the foliage tender and slows it bolting to flower.
Where Shiso thrives
Whether shiso thrives on a given site comes down to its soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates — the conditions that vary parcel to parcel.
What grows around Shiso
Growing guides for shiso
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — shiso is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Cornell Poisonous Plants Database.)
Shiso offers low value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Before you harvest shiso, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant shiso for food. Our free screen reads 8 federal source types across roughly 950K indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Your land is one point inside Shiso's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Shiso will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether shiso actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Shiso
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Shiso in my zone?
Shiso is grown as an annual, so a hardiness zone does not decide it — its growing season follows your last and first frost dates. Soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long does Shiso take to grow?
Shiso is ready to harvest about 70 days after planting. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your local frost dates and soil temperature move that window earlier or later.
When should you plant Shiso?
Shiso is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Shiso need?
Shiso needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Shiso need?
Shiso prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Shiso attract pollinators?
Yes — shiso's flowers are a modest nectar source for honeybees. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Is Shiso safe for pets?
Shiso is toxic to dogs and cats with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Cornell Poisonous Plants Database.)