Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Herbs
Origin
Middle Africa
-
Types
Perennial Grass
Ocimum americanum
Number of Varieties
1520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-1
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Downy mildew, Dry root rot, Fusarium wilt, Gray mold, Japanese Beetles
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Aphids, Beetles, Leaf Hoppers, Nematodes
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Hives, Itchiness, Rash, Swelling
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Borders, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Low calories, Manganese, Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin K
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Added to salads, Powdered and mixed with tea, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes, Used to flavour soups
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
OCIMUM x citriodorum
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Lemon Basil
In Hindi
हाथी घास
नींबू तुलसी
In German
Elefantengras
Limonenbasilikum
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
citron basilic
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Ocimum × citriodorum
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
λεμόνι βασιλικός
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
manjericão limão
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Bazylia cytrynowa
In Latin
elephanti herba
lemon Basilius
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Ocimum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Asterids
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
1169
1
27800
👆🏻