Recommended for your garden in the south of Spain: Persicaria odorata

Persicaria odorata, commonly called Cambodium mint, Vietnamese coriander and laksa, is a tender perennial herb native to southeast Asia. It is a member of the knotweed family but is not classed as invasive.

It is used extensively in Asia as a culinary herb with a flavour similar to coriander but stronger (you need a lot less) and with a citrus touch. Unlike true coriander (Coriandrum sativum), it will not bolt at the first blast of summer heat but will continue to produce fresh spicy leaves until the cold weather slows it down. Even then, if grown in a pot, it can be moved indoors to a bright windowsill and will continue to grow and produce new shoots.

Zoom

Although laksa loves the heat, it will not tolerate dry soils and needs to be kept constantly moist. It will also need dappled shade, especially on summer afternoons. It needs a free-draining rich soil and will grow fast, reaching about 45cm tall; a large pot or hanging basket is ideal.

The narrow, pointed leaves often have faint, maroon markings although there are a number of subspecies and some don't have any markings at all.

In summer, it produces tall flower spikes with small, pink or white blooms. After flowering, laksa can be trimmed back to encourage the production of lots of the stronger flavoured, new leaves. Pinching out the tips will also encourage new growth.

The cuttings are easy to root in water to produce new plants or laksa can also be grown from seed.

Young leaves are used raw or cooked in salads, rice and noodle dishes, curries, stews and soups. Vietnamese coriander stands up to cooking much better than true coriander and only around half the quantity is needed. In Asian medicine, laksa is taken to aid digestion, help relieve symptoms of colds, detoxify the blood and as an anti-inflammatory.

This herb (in Spanish, Cilantro Vietnamita) can be ordered from Vivero El Almillo, Alhaurín de la Torre: www.huertum.es