Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Herbs
Origin
Africa
Europe, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Basil, African blue basil
Number of Varieties
760
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
11-1
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Burgandy, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Cream
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
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, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Don't prune in the fall, Prune regularly
Fertilizers
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, 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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
-
Allergy
-
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Showy Purposes
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
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Ocimum tenuiflorum
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Basil
In Hindi
purple millet
तुलसी
In German
purple millet
Basilikum
In French
millet pourpre
basilic
In Spanish
purple millet
albahaca
In Greek
purple millet
βασιλικός
In Portuguese
purple millet
manjericão
In Polish
purple millet
bazylia
In Latin
purple millet
ocimum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Lamiales
Family
Poaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Ocimum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Asterids
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
160
1
27800
👆🏻