Our Price: $8.25
Culinary
Aroma
Container
Pollinator
IndoorOcimum basilicum
Light: Full sun
Temperature: Annual
Watering: Keep soil moist, do not let soil get too dry.
Soil: Light, well drained soil. If need you can use Plant Feed once a month.
Comments: never prune more than 50% of your plant's leaves, this could cause too much stress on your basil plant. Continuous trimming avoids these annuals going to seed; allowing your plant to focus more on producing foliage than blooms!
This exotic 'Siam Queen' Basil plant is a beautiful bloomer and useful culinary herb! Thai basil has a distinct but subtle licorice flavor which is perfect for stir fries and soups. Just rubbing one of this basil's small, delicate leaves between your fingers releases a wonderful anise aroma!
The purple blooms of this lovely culinary herb these blooming spires are wonderful additions to arrangements or grown alongside your flowers for texture and aroma. The light musky scent has hints of mint and cloves. Plant in full sun. Grows 18-22" tall.
Basils are also fantastic natural pest repellents and companion plants. Their oils have the power to ward off house flies, mosquitoes and more, while encouraging surrounding crops.
Basil is a wonderful plant to plant near your kitchen windows or doorways, not just for its use in your favorite dishes, but because this culinary herb has terrific natural pest repellent properties! Said to effectively keep house flies and mosquitoes away, planting Basil near entryways to your home, rubbing it on your skin and clothing, and planting it around your yard and patio will help reduce the amount of unwanted summer pests. Planting it in your garden will also keep destructive pests like Thrips, white flies, and aphids away from neighboring plants. Basil blooms are also very attractive to butterflies and other useful pollinators.
Basil is said to increase the health and flavor of many vegetables like asparagus, bell peppers, cabbage and especially tomato plants when companion planted together. For best results, do not plant Sage or Rue near your Basil, as this is said to inhibit the plant's growth and flavor. Instead, grow Chamomile near your Basil plants to encourage its success.
We came across this recipe in the summer edition of Heirloom Herb! It is a great use of Thai Basil, and very easy to make:
Vegetarian Basil Eggplant
1 - 2 chili peppers
2 Eggplants, long variety (cut into pieces)
1 TLB Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 TLB sugar
1 Bunch of Thai Basil leaves (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 TLB olive oil
Heat a pan or wok over medium heat, and add oil, peppers and garlic. Stir constantly until the garlic turns a bit brown. Add the eggplant and keep stirring. Add 1 cup of water, cover the pan and keep cooking until the eggplant turns translucent (5-8 minutes). Cook until all the water is absorbed, and add soy sauce and sugar. Cook a bit longer, add the basil and quickly stir to heat the herb but you want it to retain its color. Remove from heat, and serve over rice!
