Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
-
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Ocimum americanum
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Number of Varieties
201
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
-
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
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, 13, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Twisted/Contorted
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Crimson, Copper
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Compound
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
occasional watering once established
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, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Dry root rot, Fusarium wilt, Gray mold, Japanese Beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Beetles, Leaf Hoppers, Nematodes
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Hives, Itchiness, Rash, Swelling
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Low calories, Manganese, Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin K
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Added to salads, Powdered and mixed with tea, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes, Used to flavour soups
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
OCIMUM x citriodorum
BURSERA simaruba
Common Name
Lemon Basil
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
In Hindi
नींबू तुलसी
Bursera simaruba
In German
Limonenbasilikum
Bursera simaruba
In French
citron basilic
Bursera simaruba
In Spanish
Ocimum × citriodorum
Bursera simaruba
In Greek
λεμόνι βασιλικός
Bursera simaruba
In Portuguese
manjericão limão
Bursera simaruba
In Polish
Bazylia cytrynowa
Bursera simaruba
In Latin
lemon Basilius
Bursera simaruba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Lamiales
Sapindales
Family
Lamiaceae
Burseraceae
Genus
Ocimum
Bursera
Clade
Asterids
Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
16910
1
27800
👆🏻