Need help identifying basil

I bought this basil plant in the spring and have had basil before but not like this. It has grown like a rocket and is beautiful and fragrant. My question is what kind/type/name it is as I don't have the tag anymore and will want to purchase some like it again. Can anyone help with this? It has gotten about four feet tall.

Lovediggin ~ would you be able to give a description or post a photo?

Yes, I had attached the pic at one point and then edited message without realizing that the pic was no longer there.
This is beautiful plant and that it is a wonderful basil makes it wonderful.

What a magnificent basil plant!
The foliage reminds me of a cinnamon basil.
Does it have a sweet taste/fragrance?

Wow! Nice plant. My basil does not look anything like that. I'm taking this picture out there to my plant so it gets an idea about what it's supposed to do.....;-) Sorry. I'm no help at ID'ing but it sure is pretty.

Yes, I would also tend to agree with it being cinnamon basil. Break a leaf...it should have a mellow cinnamon/vanilla hint to it. It will reseed itself. My brother uses it around his bee hives, it's a magor bee attractor if left to bloom.

MerryMary ~ I wasn't sure it was cinnamon as the stems appear reddish and my cinnamon basil has green stems. Do you know if your brothers' basil has reddish stems?



Lovediggin, has it bloomed yet? If it should bloom, save your seed. Basil germinates easily in springtime so you should never be without this one.

Basils cross quickly and freely and there is a good chance this can't be IDd.

This message was edited Aug 9, 2011 6:08 AM

Some of my cinnamon has slightly reddish stems and light lavender flowers (fading to white) although some do not. African Blue basil also gets that tall, but usually has blue veining in the leaves (it also will not seed) Leman basil has larger leaves, and are a bright green, and has a very distinct lemony scent. Thai basil has much more purple in the stem and flowers, and has a very distinct anise/licorice smell and flavor. There is a large leaf "normal" basil, but it doesn't look like that's it.

Thank you all for your interest and comments. I will go out tomorrow and look more carefully at the stem color and try to determine the fragrance. It has not bloomed yet. I had to cut it way back as it got so tall that the wind blew it over and staking did not help.

I hope it will bloom before frost but I do not expect it to bloom in these 100-105 temps we are having. If it blooms I will save the seed and let some self sow.

I know it is a sweet tasting, smelling basil as I have used it in salads and pasta dishes. In the past I have had a more ordinary size plant of a common type basil and was so surprised to see this beauty.

Here in Florida it's been very hot as well. If the stem is thick enough, it may not die back all the way over the winter. I'm in zone 9b, so we get occassional frosts, but that's about it. Mine will die back a bit, but then resprout as the spring weather warms up. It's getting a fairly thick woody base at this point.

It may help too, to mulch it for winter. Good thought.

You are all so ;helpful and kind.

The main stems are rather woody and brownish. The new stems are green with no purple tones or bluish veining. The pic shows the basil growing in front of my Texas Star Hibiscus which has very bright maroon stems. I think that was what may be showing through the stems of basil.

Is there a basil with a smell and taste of cloves? It's most likely cinnamon basil. That's what I am getting from my foray this morning to see if it was cinnamon or lemon basil.
Thanks and I will mulch this plant and try to overwinter it altho we get some deep cold spells here. First I hope for blooms.

Thanks again

You would definitely know if it was lemon basil! There's no mistaking the bright green leaves and lemony aroma. Even if you simply brush by a lemon basil, the yard will smell like lemons. If it's clove/cinnamon/vanilla smelling...AND large in size, it's most likely cinnamon basil, and we can all start sending you recipes! ;)

Uh-oh ~ did you say cloves? I have one that I picked up a year ago at the flea market. No ID. It develops a woody stalk and has similar leaves with a fragrance of clove.

It was thought at first to be African blue basil but the seed for that is sterile. Seed on this one germinates easily so it likely is a cross with the blue basil. Never have ID'd it. I've kept mine potted so it hasn't gotten taller than a couple feet.

May I ask where you found your basil?

I LOVE Basil... my suggestion would be to take cuttings of it....and then you don't have to figure out how to get more !

But I am a beginner... so I'm up to suggestions for you...

I have taken 3 cuttings of my sweet Basil and 3 of my lemon basil. Very easy to take,,,

Hugs,
Mary

I planted my basils several years ago and haven't purchased another one since! Aside from my normal Italian sweet basil, I don't worry about them blooming. I usually have to rip them out by the roots like weeds.
If the clove smell is actually licorice/anise smelling....and the flowers are born out of purple bud areas (even though the flowers are whiter) you probably have Thai basil, which will not get much taller than 2 feet. The leaves are a dark green.

podster, if my poor memory serves me right I bought it in Caldwell from a little lady that runs
a stand selling plants in front of her house. We go by her place on trips and sometimes I stop.
I think she gave me a business card and if I find it I will give her a call.

Would love the recipes as I am a beginner at basil, but many years of cooking experience.

Again, thanks for all the help and suggestions. I had not thought of cuttings, so you are all a big
help to me even if we can't get a good ID.

If your plant is large enough, you can bend a branch down to the soil line, bobby pin it down, and cover it a bit with mulch. It will begin to sprout roots, then you can cut that part off and re-pot it for a starter plant.

Looks like the columnar basil I bought this spring. http://pantrygardenherbs.com/?attachment_id=1890

You are right, it looks so much like what i have. Mine got so tall and I didn't have a large enough stake so it fell over. I cut it back about 1/3 and staked it and it continues to grow. Thanks for sharing.

I agree with Susan on the columnar basil The leaves are a little smaller than on cinnamon basil, and it has a more upright habit.

So many places are now selling basil plants, as opposed to cut basil - yahoooo! HOWEVER, it matters not once it gets to my house - it dies in situ - the pots and soil look good, but wilt begins within just a few days. Any suggestions???

I know that my seeds that fall into sand, seem to do better than the ones I purposely plant in rich soil. I'm not sure if it's the semi-drier roots that make the difference(?) or not. I use a once a season feed and water them occasionally, and that's it. The seeds in the sand AROUND the pots, make basil bushes! Huge and wide. I never trim the seeds off.

Hm... very interesting.... Similar situation here.... After the one I purchase starts failing.... I have them coming up everywhere... especially in a Rock path near the Herb garden ! LOL