Basil 'Holy' (Tulsi)

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Tulsi is considered an adaptogenic tonic for the body, mind, and spirit. It’s one of the most highly-regarded herbs in the country, with more than 3,000 years of recorded medicinal use (Gladstar).⁠ Traditional usage in Ayurveda include stress, anxiety, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and dementia (Cech).

Perhaps most noteworthy, in my opinion, is this calming herb’s anxiety- and stress-relieving properties. I love a combination of tulsi + rose tea, though its virtues are many. Take, for example, this excerpt from the National Library of Medicine:

There is mounting evidence that tulsi can address physical, chemical, metabolic and psychological stress through a unique combination of pharmacological actions. Tulsi has been found to protect organs and tissues against chemical stress from industrial pollutants and heavy metals, and physical stress from prolonged physical exertion, ischemia, physical restraint and exposure to cold and excessive noise. Tulsi has also been shown to counter metabolic stress through normalization of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipid levels, and psychological stress through positive effects on memory and cognitive function and through its anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties. Tulsi's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, which includes activity against a range of human and animal pathogens, suggests it can be used as a hand sanitizer, mouthwash and water purifier as well as in animal rearing, wound healing, the preservation of food stuffs and herbal raw materials and traveler's health. Cultivation of tulsi plants has both spiritual and practical significance that connects the grower to the creative powers of nature.... (Cohen, J Ayurveda Integr Med)

You could say that I have a thing for basil😂. One year I grew over 20 cultivars, a bit much! But I mean, what's not to love? Basil is as incredible in the kitchen as it is in the cut-flower garden. 

Syn. Ocimum sanctum but as Richo Cech has pointed out, it's muddled: Ocimum sanctum is an outdated scientific name for Ocimum tenuiflorum that has been misused for naming Ocimum africanum.

While this ancient plant has been cultivated for thousands of years for culinary, medicinal, and spiritual purposes, it has also gradually gained popularity in floral design, where it is prized as a fragrant filler.

I included my Top 7 Basil Varieties in our seed launch, each one was selected for its unique properties. 

Packet contains approximately 150 seeds.

DETAILS
Plant type: Annual
Days to maturity: 90–100 days
Light preference: Full sun
Plant spacing: 4–8” apart in rows 18” apart (culinary, medicinal)
Plant height: 16–22 inches
Hybrid status: Open pollinated

How to Grow

Sow indoors 6 weeks before transplanting out after all danger of frost. Basil is very sensitive to cold. May also be direct sown.

Harvest

Harvest once plants have become established. Cut during the coolest parts of the day to avoid wilting. Can be used fresh or dry. Hang to dry for tea.

SHIPPING

FREE: $100 or more on any seeds
$3.95: 1–9 seed packets
$7.95: 10+ seed packets

Photo: Johnny's Selected Seeds

Seeds ship within 1–3 business days unless noted otherwise on main page.

*SEED-ONLY SHIPPING FEES:

FREE: $100 or more on any seeds
$4.95: 1–9 seed packets
$7.95: 10+ seed packets

*Does NOT include Alaska and Hawaii (these will be calculated at checkout based on USPS rates)

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