It looks like "Tulsi" also known as "Holy Basil" to me. Ocimum sanctum (Wikipedia says "Ocimum tenuiflorum").

It is a type of wild Basil found in India, Pakistan, Iran, etc. It naturalizes more easily than domesticated Basils. It is considered a little too sharp not to mention hairy for eating it straight.

Hindus plant it around their temples and homes. I think some uses for it are...

Burned as incense
Brewed into a tonic
Dried for medicinal purposes
Used in Hindu purification rituals
Worshipped as the physical form of a demigoddess endeared to Krishna

Here is a link that might be useful: Wikipedia entry about Tulsi

Not Holy Basil. The picture is of a salvia plant, true sages are from the salvia family. I cannot tell which one without more of the plant and information on salvia's from Australia. Daisy Duckworth may know the cultivar.

While I'm not doubting you, I gotta say that the holy basil growing in my garden right now looks amazing like the plant in the picture. I grew the plants from seed and they look like the plants I've grown from seed in previous years - no mislabeled plants/seeds or what have you. I'll be interested to see if anyone knows for sure what it is...

FataMorgana

>>I can't quite place the flavour but it is slightly medicinally mentholy and quite strong.

By any chance does it have a clove-like component to the scent? Rather sharp?

It looks as tho it is about to bloom. Let it, take another shot with the blossoms, and that will help.

BTW, you said it's not as purple in real life as in the picture. Tulsi comes in colored forms and half-colored forms in addition to green.