Italian Large Leaf Basil Ocimum basilicum

LATIN NAME: OCIMUM BASILICUM

COMMON NAME: Sweet Basil, Big Leaf Basil

The big leaf basil is one of the most fragrant and most useful of the kitchen herbs, and its large, soft, aromatic leaves have made it a treasure of the gardens and the kitchens of the world. It grows as a bushy, upright, aromatic annual of the mint family, reaching up to half a metre or more, with upright, square, branching stems bearing large, soft, oval, pointed, bright-green, glossy leaves, which are intensely fragrant when brushed or bruised, and, in the summer, small, two-lipped, white or pale-purple flowers in the upright spikes, followed by the small, dark, nutlet seeds. It is a form of the flowering herb, native to the warm regions of the Old World, while it is grown for its fragrant leaves and its value in the kitchen, and it is known as the big leaf basil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The big leaf basil has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the chemistry of the essential oils and the food science, since the large, soft leaves of the basil yield a fragrant oil that has been prized in the kitchen and the perfumery for a long time, and the researchers have examined the leaves, their oil and their constituents, while the value of the basil oil has drawn attention in the international food and botanical press, and the study of the fragrant herbs has been of continuing interest across the world. The plant has also been studied in the horticulture and the plant breeding, since the basil is one of the most important of the kitchen herbs, and the researchers and the breeders have examined its many forms, its breeding and its cultivation, while the large, soft, aromatic leaves have drawn attention in the international horticultural press, and the breeding of the basils has been of continuing interest. The species has also been studied in botany and ecology, since it is a member of the mint family, and its relationships and its many forms have been examined, while the small, two-lipped flowers of the basil have been of interest to the botanists and the bees alike. For a herb of such fragrant value, the big leaf basil has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

To grow the Big Leaf Basil from seed, ecologically, the big leaf basil is a generous plant of the garden. Its small, two-lipped, white or pale-purple flowers feed the bees and the insects of the summer, and its bushy, leafy growth gives a fine cover to the small creatures, while its rich, aromatic scent fills the air of the kitchen garden. Its economic value is real: the big leaf basil is prized for its large, fragrant leaves and its value in the kitchen, and its value has drawn attention in the international food and horticultural press, while the fragrant leaves have been used in the cooking of the world, and the herb is a beloved friend of the garden and the kitchen. To raise the big leaf basil, press the fine seeds into the surface of pots of moist, free-draining compost in the warmth, keep them lightly watered, and grow the little herbs on in a bright spot.

press the fine seeds into the surface of pots of moist, free-draining compost in the warmth, keep the young basil lightly watered, and grow the little herbs on in a bright spot.

LATIN NAME: Ocimum basilicum

COMMON NAME: Sweet Basil, Great Basil, Genovese Basil

Sweet basil is the heart of the summer kitchen, and no herb is more loved across the worlds cuisines. It grows as a bushy, tender annual, reaching thirty to sixty centimetres, with glossy, oval, bright green leaves and, in late summer, spikes of small, white flowers. The leaves carry the warm, sweet, clove-like scent that defines so many dishes, from pesto to Thai cooking. It is an easy plant with an enormous personality, and it brings a little of the Mediterranean summer to any windowsill or garden bed.

Sweet basil belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, and it is native to the tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia. It is now grown all over the world, valued in cuisines everywhere, from Italian to Thai to Indian cooking. Beyond the classic sweet basil, there are many cultivated forms, from the large, crinkled-leaf types to the tiny-leaved bush basils and the striking purple varieties, so there is a basil for every kitchen and every taste, and it grows as happily in a pot on a windowsill as it does in the open garden.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Sweet basil has a genuine and growing place in both culinary and scientific research. It is one of the most studied culinary herbs, and researchers have examined the chemistry of its fragrant leaves, identifying the essential oils and aromatic compounds that give it its scent and flavour, and studying how these vary between the many cultivated varieties. The plant has also been studied for its traditional uses, since it has a long history in herbal medicine across Asia and the Mediterranean, and its potential biological activity continues to interest researchers. In horticulture, sweet basil has been studied in breeding and cultivation, and improved varieties have been developed for growers and gardeners. For an herb of such worldwide fame, sweet basil has a steady and rich record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, sweet basil is a generous plant of the garden. Its white flowers feed bees and other pollinators, and its fragrant leaves are loved by gardeners and chefs alike, while the plant has a long association with the kitchen garden and the summer table.

Its economic value is enormous. It is one of the most widely grown culinary herbs in the world, used fresh and dried in cuisines everywhere, and it is grown on a large scale for the food industry, for essential oils and for the fresh herb trade. For a grower, sweet basil is a dependable and valuable crop, and for a gardener it brings a little of the summer into every meal. When the seed goes in, it doesnt take much to get things moving — a warm windowsill, a light covering of soil, a little water — and within a couple of weeks youll see the first tiny leaves pushing through, then the plants grow on quickly, and before you know it youre picking leaves for the kitchen all summer long.

BASIL ITALIAN Large Leaf [ Ocimum Basilicum] is a very popular versatile herb. Both fresh and dried leaves are used in seasoning meat, poultry, fish, many Italian tomato and pasta dishes. It is also used in salads, dressings and is the main ingredient in pesto sauce. Basil is wonderfully fragrant growing in the garden as well as spicy in your cooking.

BASIL ITALIAN Large Leaf [ Ocimum Basilicum] has a particularly strong fragrance and flavor making it excellent for almost any basil dish, particularly pesto. Edible flowers are tasty in salads. There is no more useful herb in a warm, south window, and it can be grown indoors in winter. This is a great container variety.

The plant attracts bees and butterflies.