(Basil)

For many, this is the perfect culinary herb with a thousand and one flavorful uses. Sweet basil is a bushy annual, or short-lived evergreen perennial, that originates from Eurasia and Africa. It has been broadly cultivated for centuries and boasts a wide array of cultivars of varying sizes, colors, textures and tastes. Anyone who has compared the sweet, aromatic flavor of large-leaved Italian basil to the sharp flavor of purple-leaved basil can tell you they are profoundly different. Some basil cultivars...

(Basil, Curlyleaf Basil, Savoyleaf Basil)

This pungent but sweet basil has the added value of crisp, savoyed leaves that offer real visual appeal. It has a tidy, bushy habit and lots of bright green, large, curly or ruffled leaves. This pretty garden selection is favored for salads and cooked dishes. Some claim its flavor is not mellow enough for pesto, but flavor can vary depending on soil and growing conditions, so taste your own before reaching this conclusion.

For many, basil is the perfect culinary herb. It is a bushy annual, or...

(Purple Basil)

Lovely purple leaves cover these bushy herbs throughout the growing season. Purple-leaved basils are grown for both the beauty and flavor of their jewel-toned leaves. Different cultivars come in a variety of purple colors from dark purple to burgundy and bronzy purple. Height and habit also varies from cultivar to cultivar, some are tall and upright, while others are bushy and short. Most have strong, spicy leaves that are best used in cooked sauces and dishes. They also make an attractive addition...

(Dark Opal Basil, Purple Basil)

The purple-leaved basil, ‘Dark Opal,’ was an All-American Selections winner in 1962. Its jewel-toned purple leaves deserve just as much attention as its strong, flavorful leaves, which taste great in salads and make attractive herbed vinegar. In hot weather, ‘Dark Opal’ may loose some of its purple leaf color. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful choice for containers and flower gardens as well as herb and vegetable beds.

For many, basil is the perfect culinary herb. It is a bushy annual, or short-lived...

(Purple Basil, Red Ruffles Basil)

Super ruffled, deep purple leaves give this compact purple basil a designer look, making it well-suited for vegetable and flower gardens alike. The popular ‘Purple Ruffles’ was an All-American Selections winner in 1987. Its leaves are strongly flavored and spicy with elements of clove and cinnamon. Like many purple-leaved basils, it may loose some of its purple leaf color in very hot weather, after flowering or if planted in too little sun.

For many, basil is the perfect culinary herb. It is...

(Lemon Basil)

Lemon basil is a natural hybrid, which is a cross between sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and hoary basil (Ocimum canum). The foliage of this warm season annual herb, or tender evergreen perennial, has a strong lemony basil fragrance and flavor. It is great for flavoring poultry, salad dressings and fish.

The moderately-sized plants have slightly hairy stems and smooth, oval leaves that are green to gray-green. Spikes of white, two-lipped flowers appear as summer temperatures...

(Lemon Basil, Pesto Perpetuo Lemon Basil, Variegated Lemon Basil)

Lovely, fragrant, variegated foliage covers this surprisingly vigorous warm season herb all summer. Introduced by Sunny Border Nurseries in 2004, 'Pesto Perpetuo' has an almost columnar bushy habit. Its pale green leaves are edged in ivory and have a crisp, clean look. It was discovered by Pierre Bennerup of Berlin, Connecticut in a block of Ocimum x citriodorum ‘Lesbos' plants.

Lemon basil is a natural hybrid, which is a cross between sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and hoary basil...

(Basil)

A dense, mounding, small-leaved plant that does indeed resemble a dwarf boxwood, this basil has both ornamental and culinary value. It is one of hundreds of selections of Ocimum basilicum, an annual or short-lived perennial from tropical Asia that has long been cultivated for its aromatic, flavorful leaves.

Boxwood basil bears dense masses of tiny, green, opposite leaves on low, rounded plants. The sweetly spicy leaves taste great in salads, pesto or pasta sauce, and the plants are perfect...

(Basil, Cinnamon Basil)

Cinnamon basil is a spicy cultivar of sweet basil. It has purple stems, pink to lavender flowers and a compact habit. The spicy, cinnamon-like scent and flavor of the leaves comes from the same aromatic compound that gives the bark of the cinnamon tree its delicious bouquet. This garden selection was probably made from plants in Mexico and is popular for use in hot drinks or to give an exotic flavor to pasta sauces.

As summer warms up, cinnamon basil produces spikes of flowers. After blooming,...

(Basil)

For many, basil is the perfect culinary herb. It is a bushy annual, or short-lived perennial, that originates from Africa and Asia. As summer warms up, it produces spikes of two-lipped, white flowers. After flowering, plants put fewer resources towards foliage production and more towards flowers and seeds. This results in smaller, stronger, more acrid tasting leaves. So, it is best to pick off buds as they appear to keep plants from blooming.

Satisfyingly easy to grow, basil requires full sun...