Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Herbs
Shrub
Origin
-
Southern Africa
Types
Ocimum americanum
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
Number of Varieties
2020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
-
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
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
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Tan
Light Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Elliptic and Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Shade areas
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Dry root rot, Fusarium wilt, Gray mold, Japanese Beetles
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Beetles, Leaf Hoppers, Nematodes
Birds
Allergy
Hives, Itchiness, Rash, Swelling
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Low calories, Manganese, Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin K
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Added to salads, Powdered and mixed with tea, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes, Used to flavour soups
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
OCIMUM x citriodorum
CARISSA macrocarpa
Common Name
Lemon Basil
Carissia
In Hindi
नींबू तुलसी
Carissa
In German
Limonenbasilikum
carissa
In French
citron basilic
carissa
In Spanish
Ocimum × citriodorum
carissa
In Greek
λεμόνι βασιλικός
carissa
In Portuguese
manjericão limão
carissa
In Polish
Bazylia cytrynowa
carissa
In Latin
lemon Basilius
carissa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Gentianales
Family
Lamiaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Ocimum
Carissa
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
169100
1
27800
👆🏻