Ocimum, Variegated Sweet Basil 'Pesto Perpetuo'

It is not possible to answer the questions above regarding this plant, as the multiple choices given are not accurate. It is light green...Read More with green specks/lines and white rim. It is good to cook with, but its real value is that it does not flower and can be grown through the winter inside in a pot. It will need as much sun as you can give it, and do not let it dry out. Place it in a tray with pebbles and water to raise humidity around the plant, as air in houses during the winter tend to be very dry. Pinch back new growth to encourage "bushout" and more new leaves, but once inside only pinch back when it gets leggy as too much leaf removal can hurt the plant.

I have been growing Pesto Perpetuo for 6 months, and I love it. It does not bloom, which is a huge bonus. It is columnar yet very full ...Read Moreand gorgeous. The fragrance is very nice, flavor less than a workhorse like Genovese, but it is very worth growing for looks, fragrance, and culinary use. At 6 months now it is pretty woody, but if it weren't being blasted by hot air I think it would make it through the winter. Only drawback: no flowers = no seeds. You have to propagate this vegetatively.

The 'Pesto Perpetuo' is a variegated form of 'Aussie Sweetie'. The leaves are light green with dark green streaking and white edging. The...Read More foliage is highly ornamental.

The flavor is similar to that of a sweet basil and according to its patent, this is a non-flowering variety said to result in increased, year long leaf production where weather permits.

Patent is currently held by Sunny Border Nurseries, Inc. in Kensington, CT.