Sweet Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Herbs & Spices Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
Tender annual herb with large aromatic leaves essential to Italian cuisine, pesto, and Asian cooking. Pinch flower buds to encourage bushy growth; extremely cold-sensitive.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
💧
Water
Every 2-3 days
💨
Humidity
Moderate (40-60%)
🌡️
Temperature
20-30°C
🪴
Soil
Rich, well-draining, moist loam (pH 5.5-6.5)
🧪
Fertilizer
Balanced liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks; compost at planting
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
स्वीट बेसिल
BN
Bengali
সুইট বেসিল
MR
Marathi
स्वीट बेसिल
TE
Telugu
స్వీట్ బాసిల్
TA
Tamil
ஸ்வீட் பாசிலி
GU
Gujarati
સ્વીટ બેસિલ
UR
Urdu
سویٹ بیسل
KN
Kannada
ಸ್ವೀಟ್ ಬೇಸಿಲ್
OR
Odia
ସ୍ୱିଟ୍ ବେସିଲ୍
ML
Malayalam
സ്വീറ്റ് ബാസിൽ
PA
Punjabi
ਸਵੀਟ ਬੇਸਿਲ
AS
Assamese
সুইট বেছিল
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- South and Southeast Asia (India, Thailand)
- 📏 Max height
- 30-60 cm (12-24 inches)
- 📐 Spread
- 30-45 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White, Pink
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to humans; widely consumed culinary herb. Contains estragole which in large doses may be a concern; generally safe for pets in small amounts.
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seed (sow indoors 6 weeks before last frost); softwood cuttings root easily in water
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic to humans; widely consumed culinary herb. Contains estragole which in large doses may be a concern; generally safe for pets in small amounts.
Common issues
- Fusarium wilt (devastating)
- Downy mildew
- Japanese beetle defoliation
- Aphids and whitefly
💡 Care tips
- Pinch flower buds to encourage leafy growth
- Harvest from the top to promote bushy growth
- Sensitive to cold so bring indoors before frost
- Companion plant for tomatoes to deter pests
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 3 days, fertilizing every 14 days.
