Siam Queen is a staple in my garden.

FataMorgana

Cinnamon Basil - I love it.
Purple Ruffles - I love the look of this one on a basil tomato salad.

Thanks.
Do these reseed each year or do you have to buy new seeds each year?
Bob

Reseed, no. But you can save seeds from open-pollinated varieties like Siam Queen to plant the next year.

FataMorgana

My girlfriend has Purple Ruffles and hers does reseed every year.
Joann

Thanks Joann,
I have lemon basil and it also reseeds. As a matter of fact in my garden there are some volunteer seedlings that just came up. Freezes will probably do them in but more should come in the spring.
Bob

Hiya BugBite,

Also consider what you want to do with the basil. Each has a different flavor. Genovese is super easy for me to grow and a perfect Italian type pesto basil, for example.

For Southeast Asian cuisines, Thai Siam Queen is easy and prolific. It taste like a mix of basil and licorice. Use it to top Vietnamese soup (pho).

Hope that helps : )

Mars

Hi Mars,
A little crazy I know, but I like smelling basil leaves in the garden. I am also interested in flower types like the new Floral Spires.
Thanks for the info you shared,
Bob

Lemon and Cinnamon are awesome for teas, Genovese Basil for pesto. Have you seen/tried Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum/tenuiflorum)? The leaves are even slightly numbing to taste, but Italian-style basils pale in comparison to it in pesto form.

Thanks ykerzner,
Just reasearched Sacred Basil. One site says,"Ocimum Sanctum: Sacred basil (Holy basil, Tulsi) This plant is known as Tulsi in Sanskrit, which means âÂÂthe incomparable oneâÂÂ. As an important symbol in Hindu religious traditions it is worshiped and used in various religious rituals. Similar in looks and growth habit to the culinary basil, Sacred Basil has a more pungent aroma...."
Regarding the "pungent" part, if you crush it in your hands is it overpowering or just a nice strong fragrance?
Thanks,
Bob

Holy basil is nice. It is in my gardens every year. As far as fragrance, it is pungent in the way catnip and bee balm are pungent - a strongly herbal fragrance but not one that is unpleasant. It is very simple to grow from seed. I direct sow it in my garden when I'm sowing sweet basil and planting out my tomatoes and peppers.

In the Frozen North, you can bring it indoors for the winter. Like most herbs, it resents indoor conditions but it unlike many others will make it to summer to be planted outdoors again.

FataMorgana