(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)

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, 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...

(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...

(Basil, Italian Largeleaf Basil)

This large, lettuce-leaf basil is one of the best Italian cultivars for salads and pesto. It has extra big, bright green, richly flavored leaves. The plants are slow to bolt, which means they flower later and spend more time producing lots of leaves for eating. This vigorous selection has an upright, bushy habit and excels in the garden with minimal care.

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...

(Basil)

With its showy flowers and handsome foliage, this recent introduction from Hishtil Nurseries in Israel is well suited for both ornamental and culinary plantings. 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.

This basil bears large, oval green leaves with purple flushing and veining on upright, rounded plants. The sweetly spicy leaves taste great in salads,...

(Basil, Magical Michael Basil)

An All-American winner for 2002, ‘Magic Michael’ is a very fragrant compact basil with deep green leaves and ornamental white flowers with rosy purple calyces. This low, rounded cultivar looks great in containers and flower gardens as well as herb and vegetable beds, and its pungent leaves are best eaten cooked in sauces and dishes.

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, ‘Magic Michael’...

(Basil)

The dwarf bush basil, 'Minette', has small, fragrant, sweet basil leaves with pleasing flavor. It is an attractive foliage plant as well as herb and looks great in containers.

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...

(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...