WashingtonGardener: Basil Plant Profile

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Basil Plant Profile

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an annual herb in the mint family that is native to southern Asia. The leaves and stems are edible and highly aromatic. It is used as a culinary addition to soup, sauces, salads, and many other dishes.

Cultivars of Basil include Thai Basil, Genovese Basil, Sweet Basil, African Blue Basil, and many more. Newer varieties such as Prospera and Rutgers Obsession are bred to be more downy mildew resistant.

Basil is very easy to grow from seed. Direct sow it in the ground or a container as soon as the chance of a frost in the spring has passed. It can also be propagated by taking stem cuttings and rooting them in water before transplanting them outside.

It is rabbit- and deer-resistant. Slugs, snails, and Japanese beetles can be an issue, so be on the lookout for these pests and handpick them off when you see them.

It prefers to grow in full sun and in moist, but well-draining soils. There is no need to fertilize it. It is hardy to USDA Zone 10 to 11.

Prune it regularly by pinching out the tips once it grows to a foot or so tall. This will encourage lots of leafy full growth and discourage flowering.

Towards the end of the summer, stop pinching it back and let it go to flower and seed. Pollinators go crazy for the flowers and you can collect the seeds for sowing next year.

Basil: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Audio, video, and text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Ellen Isaacson

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