Ocimum Species, Holy Basil, Thai Basil

Gorgeous green plant, often with reddish stems and much sturdier in appearance than Sweet Basil.

Loves the heat of a Calif...Read Moreornia summer, so long as it gets enough water. Very, very frost tender, and will fade consistently with night temperatures that dip too low in winter.

Worth growing as an annual, or as a perennial in, like, Zones 10 and 11.

In our country India, its been considered that a girl having periods cannot water tulsi plant.
Is this true?
is there any t...Read Moreechnical reason behind this.

Very nice culinary herb. Easy to grow. Often used in the same dishes as Thai sweet basil for a little different flavor.
...Read MoreI grow it in large pots outdoors right to my Thai sweet basil.

Holy Basil Ocimum sanctum is indigenous to India and southern Asia. It is used in Thailand for culinary purposes. It is believed to be a...Read Moren incarnation of Tulsi the wife of Vishnu (one of three high gods in Hinduism) and is a symbol of fidelity. It can be found in two different leaf colors: green and purple. It is a somewhat small and compact plant ranging from 12-30" tall and wide. It is grown as a perennial plant in its native tropical environment but can also be grown as an annual in cooler regions. The leaves are simple and opposite in arrangement. They alternate directions at each node of the stem. The leaf is ovate with pinnate venation and has undulating crenate margins. The apex of the leaf is obtuse and the base is rounded. The surface of the leaf is mostly glabrous while the underside is pubescent. The stem is also pubescent and has four distinct yet rounded sides and are green or purple depending on the color of the plant. The bilabiate flowers are lavender or white, perfect and are borne on a raceme. They bloom continuously in their native tropical environment. The root system is fibrous but not very aggressive. Often times Spice Basil Ocimum canum x basilicum is mistakenly labeled as holy basil. The third picture on this page is Spice Basil.