Flower profile

Beefsteak plant

Perilla frutescens

Beefsteak plant (Perilla frutescens) is a flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly September–October across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Beefsteak plant is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in September–October.

32states where USDA records it

8Bloomipedia state lists include it

19,883U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia

Quick look

Perilla frutescens is a species of Perilla in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is an annual plant native to eastern Russia, South and Southeast Asia, and has been introduced to parts of eastern Asia, Europe, and North America. It prefers subtropical habitats.
From Wikipedia's article Perilla frutescens, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Maryland, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–October. ^iNaturalist
In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,499 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #33 among the 189 flowers on our Maryland list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,892 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #60 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,409 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #80 among the 182 flowers on our Tennessee list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (495 records)

Bloom time in the 8 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maryland	Introduced	September–October	3,499
Virginia	Introduced	September	2,892
Tennessee	Introduced	few records (11)	1,409
Missouri	Introduced	few records (31)	1,259
Arkansas	Introduced	September–October	1,238
Georgia	Introduced	few records (25)	1,207
Alabama	Introduced	few records (24)	823
Delaware	Introduced	few records (1)	202

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 6 of our 8 states.

See each state

Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}

Arkansas

No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Arkansas.

Alabama

No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Alabama.

Rare elsewhere

No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Leaves as a salad herb, flavoring” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records beefsteak plant in 32 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Bedford, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Gloucester, Goochland, Greene, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Warren, Westmoreland, Wise, York.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Cheatham, Clay, Cocke, Davidson, Dyer, Franklin, Giles, Grainger, Grundy, Hawkins, Haywood, Henderson, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Macon, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Obion, Polk, Rhea, Scott, Sevier, Shelby, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Williamson.