Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Herbs
Grass
Origin
Europe, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
Africa
Types
Basil, African blue basil
Pennisetum glaucum
Number of Varieties
607
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
-
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-118-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-1
12 - 8
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
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Burgandy, Lavender
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Cream
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple, Bronze
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Purple, Bronze
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Purple, Bronze
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Don't prune in the fall, Prune regularly
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, 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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Allergy
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
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
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
Ocimum tenuiflorum
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Common Name
Basil
Millet, Pearl Millet
In Hindi
तुलसी
purple millet
In German
Basilikum
purple millet
In French
basilic
millet pourpre
In Spanish
albahaca
purple millet
In Greek
βασιλικός
purple millet
In Portuguese
manjericão
purple millet
In Polish
bazylia
purple millet
In Latin
ocimum
purple millet
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cyperales
Family
Lamiaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Ocimum
Pennisetum
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
601
1
27800
👆🏻