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Holy basil

Joydeep / Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 3.0

Holy basil

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Holy basil, or tulsi, is an aromatic basil from tropical and subtropical Asia with hairy stems, often purple-tinged leaves and a spicy taste that NC State Extension describes as a mix of clove, mint and basil. Outside frost-free zones 10 to 12 it is a warm-season annual, best grown in a pot or a herb bed and set out only once the weather is warm. It is sacred in Hinduism, and its leaves are cooked and brewed as tea. NC State Extension warns that it seeds itself readily and can be an aggressive weed outside its native range, so keep it in a container or a confined bed. Japanese beetles are its main pest, and cool, damp weather brings grey mould.

Climate fit: narrow (21/100)

Edible

Container

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate water

Mature size

1-3.3 ft tall · 19.7" apart

Hardy in zones

10a-12b

mild to frost-free winters

Life cycle

Annual / Perennial

Native in Illinois

No

A culinary herb.

°C

°F

Cold hardiness

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

Plotwright

USDA Zone 6b

-5°F to 0°F

Won't grow here

2050

2100

Zone 7a

Plotwright

0°F to 5°F

Won't grow here

In plain terms: This location has cold winters. Its winters are projected to keep warming through 2050.

✕

Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate water

Soil pH

Acid / Neutral / Alkaline

Acid is below pH 6.0, neutral 6.0 to 8.0, alkaline above 8.0.

Spacing

19.7"

Habit

Erect, many-branched aromatic herb or short-lived subshrub with hairy, square stems that turn woody at the base

Care tips

•

Grow it in a pot or a confined bed: NC State Extension says it seeds itself readily and can become an aggressive weed outside its native range.

•

Wait for warm weather to plant out; Plants For A Future says it grows best with daytime temperatures of 68 to 82°F.

•

Give it full sun and soil that drains well; it does poorly in waterlogged ground.

Lifecycle

Planting

Plant in full sun once frost is past and the weather is warm. Plants For A Future describes a plant of the lowland tropics that grows best with daytime temperatures of 68 to 82°F, tolerates 59 to 95°F, and survives only to about 30°F when dormant. NC State Extension calls for moist, well-drained soil, says it tolerates a wide range of soil types and pH but does poorly in waterlogged soil, and advises planting it in a container or a confined area to manage its spread.

Transplanting

Plants For A Future describes raising young plants and setting them out, with full bloom 65 to 70 days after transplanting. Since it survives only to about 30°F, a plant in a pot can be moved under cover before frost.

Early growth

Keep the soil evenly moist but never waterlogged. Plants For A Future says leafy twigs can be picked one month after planting out and then every two weeks through the growing season. NC State Extension warns that Japanese beetles can skeletonize and strip the leaves; pick them off by hand.

Maturity

Sources give its height as 12 to 24 inches (Wikipedia), 1 to 3.3 feet (Plants For A Future), up to 3.3 feet (the Flora of China) and 3 feet (NC State Extension), with a spread of about 20 inches (Plants For A Future). Plants For A Future says it flowers constantly once in bloom; the Flora of China records flowers from February to June in China and fruit from March to August. NC State Extension says it easily propagates itself by seed. Plants For A Future warns that cool, humid, overcast weather makes it succumb to grey mould.

Propagation

Grow it from seed, the method NC State Extension recommends; Plants For A Future adds that cuttings root easily. NC State Extension says it also seeds itself readily, which is why it advises a container or a confined bed.

Plant this, not that

Better fit for this place

For Chicago, IL, these are replacement suggestions: similar plants with a stronger hardiness fit now and/or in 2050.

Coriandrum sativum

Cilantro

A warm-weather annual of the carrot family grown in herb gardens for two distinct crops from one plant: the lacy, strong-scented foliage harvested young as cilantro, and the aromatic dried seed harvested as coriander. The plant bolts and flowers quickly in hot weather, throwing up showy white-to-pale-lavender umbels and a marked leaf dimorphism - broad scalloped lower leaves give way to fine, thread-like upper foliage on the flowering stems. Fast and easy from a direct sowing, it is best succession-planted for a steady leaf harvest before heat triggers bolting.

Herb

Full sun / Part shade

Better fit now and in 2050

Now: well-suited

2050: well-suited

Artemisia dracunculus 'Sativa'

French tarragon

French tarragon is the culinary clone of Artemisia dracunculus, grown for the pungent anise-like flavor and aroma of its narrow, glossy green leaves - the defining herb of béarnaise sauce and classic French fines herbes. It is a shrubby, rhizome-spreading perennial that rarely flowers and sets effectively sterile seed, so it is propagated only by cuttings or division rather than from seed. Unlike its wild parent species and the inferior Russian tarragon, this 'Sativa' selection holds the true tarragon flavor.

Better fit now and in 2050

Now: well-suited

2050: well-suited

Calendula officinalis

Calendula (pot marigold)

An Old World cottage-garden annual grown for daisy- to chrysanthemum-like flowerheads (3 to 4 inches across) in bright yellow through deep orange, often with a contrasting darker center disk. In cool climates it blooms over a long summer-to-fall window; in hot summers it tends to languish and may need a midseason cutback to rebloom. The somewhat bitter flowers and lance-shaped aromatic leaves are edible, and the petals lend color to soups, rice, and baked goods.

Herb

Full sun / Part shade

Better fit now and in 2050

Now: well-suited

2050: well-suited

Satureja hortensis

Summer savory

A fast, bushy annual culinary herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native from southeastern Europe to western Asia. NC State Extension describes an erect, multi-stemmed plant about 18 inches tall and 1 to 3 feet wide, with linear, gland-dotted, aromatic dark-green leaves and small lilac, pink, or white summer flowers. It grows rapidly - harvestable within a couple of months of sowing - and is prized for its mild, slightly peppery flavor. Grown as a warm-season annual, it wants full sun and sharp drainage and does poorly in damp soil or shade.

Better fit now and in 2050

Now: well-suited

2050: well-suited

Similar plants

Browse lateral options with similar roles, light needs, size, or native-range overlap; these are not filtered for a better climate fit.

Coriandrum sativum

Cilantro

A warm-weather annual of the carrot family grown in herb gardens for two distinct crops from one plant: the lacy, strong-scented foliage harvested young as cilantro, and the aromatic dried seed harvested as coriander. The plant bolts and flowers quickly in hot weather, throwing up showy white-to-pale-lavender umbels and a marked leaf dimorphism - broad scalloped lower leaves give way to fine, thread-like upper foliage on the flowering stems. Fast and easy from a direct sowing, it is best succession-planted for a steady leaf harvest before heat triggers bolting.

Herb

Full sun / Part shade

Artemisia dracunculus 'Sativa'

French tarragon

French tarragon is the culinary clone of Artemisia dracunculus, grown for the pungent anise-like flavor and aroma of its narrow, glossy green leaves - the defining herb of béarnaise sauce and classic French fines herbes. It is a shrubby, rhizome-spreading perennial that rarely flowers and sets effectively sterile seed, so it is propagated only by cuttings or division rather than from seed. Unlike its wild parent species and the inferior Russian tarragon, this 'Sativa' selection holds the true tarragon flavor.

A tender warm-season culinary herb native to tropical Africa and Asia; grown as an annual in most US climates for fragrant edible leaves and as a kitchen-garden staple. Sweet basil is the species behind Genovese, Thai, and most ornamental purple basils.

Herb

Full sun / Part sun

Consistent moisture

Zones Annual (perennial in 10a-10b)

Shiso is a fast-growing Asian culinary herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native across a wide arc from the Himalayas through China, Japan, and Korea to Southeast Asia (Wikipedia; GBIF). In temperate gardens it is grown as a tender annual reaching 24 to 35 inches, prized for its aromatic, serrated leaves used in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cooking. The honest catch is its aggressive self-seeding: shiso sets abundant seed in late summer and is designated a weed in parts of the United States, so deadheading before seed set is essential unless you want a permanent colony - and all parts are toxic to grazing livestock (perilla ketone).

Calendula officinalis

Calendula (pot marigold)

An Old World cottage-garden annual grown for daisy- to chrysanthemum-like flowerheads (3 to 4 inches across) in bright yellow through deep orange, often with a contrasting darker center disk. In cool climates it blooms over a long summer-to-fall window; in hot summers it tends to languish and may need a midseason cutback to rebloom. The somewhat bitter flowers and lance-shaped aromatic leaves are edible, and the petals lend color to soups, rice, and baked goods.

Herb

Full sun / Part shade

Anthriscus cerefolium

Chervil

A fast, fine-textured cool-season culinary annual in the carrot family (Apiaceae), native to the Middle East, Russia, and the Caucasus and now grown worldwide. NC State Extension describes an erect, spreading plant about 12 to 24 inches tall with light green, feathery, finely divided (tripinnate) leaves - like a more delicate parsley - and a mild aniseed scent. Small white five-petaled flowers open in saucer-shaped umbels 1 to 2 inches across in spring and summer. It is generally grown as an annual (occasionally biennial in milder areas), prefers cool weather in moist, well-drained soil, and is a classic component of French fines herbes, prized for a delicate flavor best used fresh.

Herb

Full sun / Part shade

Moderate water

Zones Annual (biennial in mild winters)

Edible

Container

Pollinator

Educator packet

Plant packet

Holy basil educator packet

Holy basil, or tulsi, is an aromatic basil from tropical and subtropical Asia with hairy stems, often purple-tinged leaves and a spicy taste that NC State Extension describes as a mix of clove, mint and basil. Outside frost-free zones 10 to 12 it is a warm-season annual, best grown in a pot or a herb bed and set out only once the weather is warm. It is sacred in Hinduism, and its leaves are cooked and brewed as tea. NC State Extension warns that it seeds itself readily and can be an aggressive weed outside its native range, so keep it in a container or a confined bed. Japanese beetles are its main pest, and cool, damp weather brings grey mould.

Scientific name

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Plant type

herb

Hardiness

10a-12b

Light

full-sun

Moisture

moderate

Spacing

19.7"