Sweet Basil

• Type: warm season annual
• Planting time: after last spring frost
• Features: large, aromatic leaves
• Light: full sun
• Soil: fertile, well drained but moist
• Spacing: 18 inches
• Plant size: 24 to 30 inches tall, 18 inches wide
• Garden use: containers, herb beds, flower beds
• Culinary use: Asian and Italian dishes

This herb is known around the world for its wonderful fragrance and flavor. The key ingredient in classic Italian pesto, Sweet Basil has big leaves that are fast and easy to grow so that you can make your own pesto to freeze for year-round use. It loves hot weather, so always wait until all danger of frost is past before planting in the garden in the spring, then harvest before the weather starts to cool down in fall. Great for containers, but be sure to keep watered. If you were to grow only one herb, this should probably be it. Dried basil just doesn’t have the aromatic quality of the fresh leaves, which are often added at the last minute to many Asian dishes.

Bonnie Plants grows select varieties organically in a limited number of regions. Find a store in your area that carries Bonnie Organics.

Some Bonnie Plants varieties may not be available in your local area, due to different variables in certain regions. Also, if any variety is a limited, regional variety it will be noted on the pertinent variety page.