Basil – Purple or Opal

Plant family: Lamiaceae

Plant origin: India.

Fruit description:

Flowers: The flowers of the basils are small, fragrant and white or purple occurring in a spike on the tip of the plant.

Growing conditions: Basil is a handsome soft plant growing rapidly to a height of about 50 centimetres. Nip out the centre of the established plant and keep harvesting the leaves so it keeps growing without flowering. It likes plenty of warm sunshine, light well-drained soil rich in compost or fertilizer. It is not frost tolerant and doesn't like sudden cold weather. It also grows well in a pot and can be grown indoors in a sunny place. Some are perennial, some annuals.

Uses: The aromatic leaves of the basil plant have a pungent flavour, sometimes resembling anise. Sweet, Lemon and Greek basils are commonly used in Mediterranean cooking such as Italian pesto and French pistou, in salads, sauces, pasta dishes, sandwiches and salads. The flavour is lost in cooking so it is usually added at the last minute to hot dishes. Basil is superb with tomatoes, eggplant and with fresh cheeses such as mozzarella. Sweet Basil can also be used in Asian cooking. The leaves are best used fresh but can be dried to use out of season. The leaves are usually torn not cut when being prepared in a salad as they bruise and go dark, though flavour is unaffected. Pesto, a basil paste can be frozen and used on pasta or pizzas. Purple and Thai Basils are used in Thai cooking. Lemon Basil is used in Indonesian cooking as it has a citrus tang. It is used in soup, noodle dishes and curry. Try making pesto with Asian basil and have it with noodles or an Asian soup. It is delicious with chicken -try it in a sandwich Yum!

Medicinal uses: Sweet Basil leaves can be used to make an infusion to help treat flatulence, indigestion, nausea, stomach ache. An oil infusion of basil leaves is a good insect repellent and can relieve minor stings.

Pollination requirements: Self-Pollinating.

Harvest time Harvest time is any time you need the leaves or flowers for cooking. Once the flowers appear, the plant stops growing leaves on that stem so the flowers are usually pinched off to promote leaf growth.

Plant relatives

Special features:

Grown by method: Seed Grown Pot size: 100mm

Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.

Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 100mm