Sacred Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)

Family: Lamiaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Ocimum tenuiflorum or commonly known as Sacred Basil or Holy Basil is an aromatic, erect, and well-branched herb. Commonly grown in East Asia, it reaches a height of around 30 - 100 cm. It has purple flowers.The leaves are green or purple, ovate, long, and slightly toothed. It is eaten raw or cooked, added to salads, used as flavoring, or made into tea. The seeds can also be made into beverages.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Leaves, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Sweetly spicy, with a sharp, pronounced clove scent and pungency. — Leaves - raw or cooked.; Sweetly spicy, with a sharp, pronounced clove scent and pungency.; Used in salads, they can also be cooked as a potherb or used as a flavouring in a variety of dishes.; A refreshing tea can be made from the leaves.

Habitat & North American Range

Naturalized in waste places or in settled areas and thickets. (Zone 10)