Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Europe, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
Southern Africa
Types
Holy basil-
Firesticks, Old Man's Beard
Habitat
-
Desert, Hilly upland habitat, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
10-13
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
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
White, Light Pink, Lavender
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Red, Red orange
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple, Bronze
Light Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Purple, Bronze
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Purple, Bronze
Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Red, Light Green, Orange Red
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Late Spring, Early Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Transplanting
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
Needs good drainage, Water less during winter, Water more in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Don't prune in the fall, Prune regularly
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes
No
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Allergy
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
Eye irritation, Numb Lips
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Mixed Border, Ornamental use, Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders, Vomiting
Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Antitumor, Cough, Ear ache
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Branch, Latex, Root
Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
Used as firewood, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
OCIMUM basilicum 'Napoletano'
EUPHORBIA tirucalli
Common Name
Basil
aveloz, firestick plants, Indian tree spurge, naked lady, pencil tree, pencil cactus, sticks on fire, milk bush, Euphorbia tirucalli
In Hindi
तुलसी
Sher-kandvel
In German
Basilikum
Bleistiftstrauch
In Spanish
albahaca
Pencil Plant
In Greek
βασιλικός
Aveloz
In Portuguese
manjericão
avelós
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Euphorbiales
Family
Lamiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
-
Euphorbioideae
Importance of Basil and Pencil Plant
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Basil and Pencil Plant. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Basil and Pencil Plant as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Basil is Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders and Vomiting whereas of Pencil Plant is Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Antitumor, Cough and Ear ache. Basil has beauty benefits as follows: while Pencil Plant has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Basil vs Pencil Plant
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Basil vs Pencil Plant and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Basil are Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash and Vomiting whereas of Pencil Plant have Eye irritation and Numb Lips respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Basil has no showy fruits and Pencil Plant has no showy fruits. Also Basil is not flowering and Pencil Plant is not flowering . You can compare Basil and Pencil Plant facts and facts of other plants too.