Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
-
New Zealand
Types
Ocimum americanum
Metrosideros excelsa
Number of Varieties
208
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
-
Coastal Regions, hedge rows, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1110-12
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
H1, H2, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Red, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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
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
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, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Hives, Itchiness, Rash, Swelling
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Used as Christmas tree, Used for making hedges
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Low calories, Manganese, Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin K
Astringent, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Added to salads, Powdered and mixed with tea, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes, Used to flavour soups
Application in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
OCIMUM x citriodorum
METROSIDEROS excelsa
Common Name
Lemon Basil
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa
In Hindi
नींबू तुलसी
pohutukawa
In German
Limonenbasilikum
pohutukawa
In French
citron basilic
pohutukawa
In Spanish
Ocimum × citriodorum
pohutukawa
In Greek
λεμόνι βασιλικός
pohutukawa
In Portuguese
manjericão limão
pohutukawa
In Polish
Bazylia cytrynowa
pohutukawa
In Latin
lemon Basilius
pohutukawa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Lamiales
Myrtales
Family
Lamiaceae
Myrtaceae
Genus
Ocimum
Metrosideros
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
16912
1
27800
👆🏻