Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tender Perennial
Origin
Europe, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Holy basil-
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
160480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
-
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-1
-
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
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink, Lavender
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple, Bronze
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Purple, Bronze
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Purple, Bronze
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
-
Growth Rate
Very Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Transplanting
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
-
Pruning
Don't prune in the fall, Prune regularly
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Variety of soil types
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
-
Foliage Sheen
-
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders, Vomiting
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
-
Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
-
Botanical Name
OCIMUM basilicum 'Napoletano'
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Basil
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
तुलसी
Earth Star
In German
Basilikum
Erdstern
In French
basilic
Terre étoile
In Spanish
albahaca
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
βασιλικός
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
manjericão
Estrela da terra
In Polish
bazylia
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
ocimum
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Bromeliales
Family
Lamiaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Ocimum
Cryptanthus
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
15050
1
27800
👆🏻