The height of the plant ranges from eight inches to three feet, depending on the variety. Perilla blooms from June to September throughout the Ozarks. Bees tend to prefer it in June and July. It also is a favorite of the meadow fritillary and the southern sooty wing butterfly. The flowers vary from pale lavender to white in color, and blooms are clustered around square stalks like other mints.
Seeds form in a sheath or calyx, which turns from purple to green as the seeds mature.
The seeds are round, mottled with purple and grouped four to a calyx. Perilla readily self-sows, which makes it an easy annual to grow. Sow the seed in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil. Do not overwater this plant. To harvest perilla for cooking, collect the leaves in the morning, just after the dew has evaporated and before the morning sun has a chance to dry them.