Satureja species are native to warm temperate regions and may be annual or perennial. They are low-growing herbs and subshrubs, reaching heights of 15-50 cm.
The leaves are 1 to 3 cm long, with flowers forming in whorls on the stem, white to pale pink-violet.
Both summer savory and winter savory 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 Italian cuisine, particularly when cooking beans. It is also used to season the traditional Acadian stew known as fricot.
Yerba Buena (Spanish: "good herb"; S. douglasii) is used to make a herbal tea in the western United States.
