Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Herbs
Perennial
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
Europe, Northern Europe, Western Europe, United Kingdom
Types
Ocimum basilicum purpurascens
M. v. brevipetala
M. v. collina
M. v. frozen
M. v. grandiflora
M. v. paui
M. v. verna
M. v. japonica
Number of Varieties
37
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Wet lands
gardens, Grassland, Prairies, Suburban areas, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-114-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-1
8-1
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
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Mat-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.96 cm7.60 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.48 cm20.30 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Light Pink, Lavender
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Tiny
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand, Well drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering, Water when soil is dry
Keep ground moist, Never Over-water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water more 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
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness
Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Fungal Diseases
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders, Vomiting
Burns, Thyroid problems, tuberculosis
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Alpine, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
OCIMUM basilicum var. purpurascens
MINUARTIA verna
Common Name
Purple Basil
Irish Moss
In Hindi
बैंगनी तुलसी के पौधे
आयरिश काई
In German
Lila Basilikum Pflanze
Irish Moss
In French
plante de basilic pourpre
Irish Moss
In Spanish
planta de albahaca morada
musgo de irlanda
In Greek
Μωβ βασιλικό φυτό
Irish Moss
In Portuguese
Planta da manjericão roxo
Moss irlandês
In Polish
Purpurowy bazylia roślin
mech irlandzki
In Latin
Ocimum, herba Purple
Irish Moss
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Lamiaceae
Caryophyllaceae
Genus
Ocimum
Minuartia
Clade
Asterids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
15050
1
27800
👆🏻