These are really easy to grow and quite pretty. I got seeds from horizon herbs, they have 4 different kinds.

Here is a link that might be useful: horizon herbs

Do you have seeds you would want to trade?

StPete ~ Do you grow this basil for cooking or tea...? I googled holy basil and it indicated that this plant is used for medicinal purposes. Can you give us more information?

Christine

I missed you at the party!

About the holy basil I know that it is used for religious ceremonies.
I was given a plant and seeds some time ago and it grows the same way like any other basil.
Now I am familiar with Ayurvedic medicine but I would not use it unless is given to me by a professional since I don't know the right doses or how it is done...
If you want some seeds that are inexpensive, you can get them at Pinetree, a lot of other places carry it also.

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: holy basil

dclegg, I've got some seeds, I had to go outside and check first LOL
What kind of herb do you have to trade,just love to trade LOL.
I'm looking for rooted bay cutting hissup,yarrow,stinging nettle and so on any one of these woulb great
Let me know
Carmen

Dr Oz just did a bit about holy basil. And they claimed you could eat the leaves like any other basil. They also suggested taking Tulsi, a pill made from holy basil for inflamation.

Katkin - I just used up the rest of my seeds for planting, I have plenty of extra starts though.. if you're ever in st pete you're welcome to them (though they are small now) I should have pleanty of seeds soon, but they will probably be mixed.. maybe for the better.

happy~ I have been using the basil just for the pleasure of seeing them grow. I have been meaning to make a tea from them but have been preoccupied with roselle tea ;) I am not sure about the medicinal properties, but let me know what you find out :)

I drank a few cups of tea made from it. I didn't feel any different. I guess you have to drink it for awhile. I have tons of seeds. Only thing is I didn't mark it and I have regular basil right next to it. Hard to tell which is which now. They have all gone to seed and have very few leaves. The holy basil has a smaller leaf than the regular basil. The tea has a pleasant flavor. I was experimenting with different tea. Rosemary and sage. I've eaten the holy basil leaves right off of the plant. The flavor is fairly mild. I got my seeds on the seed exchange on garden web.

I now have seeds of both varieties of Holy Basil, green and red leafed. What I read is that the green variety is the best to use.

Holy Basil was mentioned on the Dr Oz show recently. His guest Chris Kilham, "Medicine Hunter", has traveled to over 30 countries looking for botanical alternatives to commercial medicine. This segment was on anti-inflamatory foods. His top 3 was coffee, onions, and Holy Basil (Tulsi). Dr Oz's website had a short segment of Chris Kilham but I'm not sure if it is still available.

I got my green variety from eBay and the red from Pinetree seeds.

Christine

Has anybody taken the Tulsi for inflamation?? Both hubby and myself have osteoarthritis and need something to help. We aready take Osteo/Byflecs but need something more. So I wonder if the Tulsi would help.

Katkin,this guy that was promoting tulsi, swears by it he also does coffee
and onions those are his top three anti inflamatories.
One of the things that has helped me greatly with inflammation and pain is
Brags organic apple cider vinegar.
Use a 1 pint canning jar...
2Tab. raw organic local honey,
2Tab..vinegar
mix in room temp filtered water 3 x a day, has done Drink the last no later
then 2pm.
wonders for me and this nasty ostioathur.
Hope this helps

Also ginger and turmeric for inflammation.

I make ginger tea. Smash up the ginger, simmer for a while or just pour boiling water over it and steep it.

I use ginger and turmeric in my cooking and in my tea all the time. We also have coffee and onions most evrey day. We need more help that that. I've also heard an old time remedy being raisins soaked in gin. lol At least the gin would take the pain away. But seriously hoping some one could tell me about Tulsi and whether it worked for them.

Sorry for this derail... am I the only one who silently adds, ", Batman!" when reading the title of this post?

Too funny, Leekle. :o)

I have a couple of friends who are ayurvedic practitioners, and they often suggest ginger and basil in several forms but usually hot tea, especially for issues with the gut. Turmeric is a staple herb in culinary India. It also aids digestion.