Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
Southern Africa, South Africa
Types
Ocimum basilicum purpurascens
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Number of Varieties
325
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Wet lands
marshes, Sandy flats, Slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-117-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-1
10-7
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
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.96 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.48 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Light Pink, Lavender
Orange, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Green, Blue Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand, Well drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Bulbs, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering, Water when soil is dry
Keep ground moist, Reduce watering in winter, Water three times weekly in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness
Prune to control growth, prune to control shape, Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies, Insects, pollinators
Allergy
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
Skin irritation, Skin rash, Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cut Flowers, Showy Purposes, Used as an interior landscaping species, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
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
Flowers
Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
OCIMUM basilicum var. purpurascens
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Common Name
Purple Basil
Chincherinchee, Wonder-flower, Star-of-Bethlehem
In Hindi
बैंगनी तुलसी के पौधे
Chincherinchee
In German
Lila Basilikum Pflanze
Kap-Milchstern
In French
plante de basilic pourpre
Chincherinchee
In Spanish
planta de albahaca morada
Chincherinchee
In Greek
Μωβ βασιλικό φυτό
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
In Portuguese
Planta da manjericão roxo
Chinkerinchee
In Polish
Purpurowy bazylia roślin
Chincherinchee,
In Latin
Ocimum, herba Purple
Chincherinchee
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Asparagales
Family
Lamiaceae
Asparagaceae
Genus
Ocimum
Ornithogalum
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Ornithogaleae
Subfamily
-
Scilloideae
Number of Species
150180
1
27800
👆🏻