Ocimum tenuiflorum
Holy basil, tulsi, tulasi, sacred basil: in India, it is not simply an aromatic herb but a revered plant. It is traditionally grown in a dedicated planter at the center of courtyards, and many Hindu households worship it daily. Not to be confused with Thai basil: its aroma is more peppery, with an almost clove-like note.
Characteristics:
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Unique peppery aroma: notes of clove and pepper, very different from common basil.
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Fragrant foliage: green to purple depending on the form, slightly downy.
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Small mauve flowers: clustered in spikes, making it as ornamental as it is useful.
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Suitable for growing in pots: ideal for a balcony or an herb garden.
Precautions:
- Frost-tender and of tropical origin: it is grown as an annual in our climates, or in a pot overwintered somewhere warm and bright.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun and warmth.
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Soil: light, rich in organic matter, and well drained. Like all basils, it appreciates nourished soil that does not dry out completely, but it is sensitive to standing water.
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Method: sow in spring, on the surface or barely covered — the seeds need light to germinate. Sow in pots at 20–25 °C, then transplant after the last frosts. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant 30 cm apart, in the ground in a sunny spot or in a pot at least 20 cm deep.
Care advice:
- Water regularly but not excessively, at the base of the plant and in the morning.
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The key step: pinch the stems regularly just above a pair of leaves. The plant will branch out, become bushier, and produce for much longer.
Harvesting advice:
- Pick the leaves as needed. Unlike common basil, tulsi dries very well and retains most of its aroma — this is, in fact, the form in which it is traditionally used as an infusion.
Beneficial pairings:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its mauve flower spikes are highly visited by bees and bumblebees — let a few plants flower at the end of the season.
- Its powerful aroma disrupts several unwanted insects affecting neighboring crops. See our insect-repellent plants.
Uses:
- As an infusion, fresh or dried — this is its main use. In cooking, its leaves enhance Indian and Asian dishes when added off the heat.
- A major medicinal plant in Ayurvedic medicine, used in India for thousands of years. See our medicinal plants to sow.
Symbolism:
Considered the earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulsi in Hinduism, the plant is symbolically married during the Tulsi Vivah ceremony, which marks the beginning of the wedding season in India.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Let a few flower spikes dry completely on the plant, then rub them over a container to release the small brown seeds. Be careful: Ocimum plants cross-pollinate easily with one another. Isolate your seed plants if you grow several basils. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
India's holy basil, with a clove and pepper aroma.
