Home and Landscape
Basil
- Ocimum basilicum
- Family Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Plant Description
Basil is a warm season annual plant grown primarily for its fragrant leaves. Many varieties of this culinary herb are grown in California including sweet, purple, Greek, Italian, lemon, cinnamon, and Thai basil. Depending on the variety, plants can grow to a height of 8 to 24 inches high and 8 to 12 inches wide. Some varieties also do well in pots.
Cultural Tips
Cultural practices such as proper site selection, soil preparation, planting, and watering are important for plant health, pest management and pest reduction when growing basil.
For more information on culinary herbs, contact your local UC Cooperative Extension location for resources such as this Environmental Horticulture Note on Culinary Herb Profiles (PDF).
