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Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Basil is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Basil
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 10–11. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Basil
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Basil into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 10 in January.
Good to know about Basil
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
The aromatic oils that give basil its flavor are the same chemistry that deters deer and rabbits: the trait you grow it for is what protects it. per NC State and Clemson
How drought-tolerant is basil
Guides split: most say keep the soil evenly moist, while Iowa State says an established plant tolerates brief drying. Everyone agrees: even moisture, no waterlogging, watered at the base. per Iowa State and Clemson
Pinch flowers or let bloom
For leaves, pinch out every flower spike to keep foliage tender. But Penn State says let a few plants bloom for bees. You can do both in one bed. per Clemson and Penn State
Basil downy mildew
Now the crop's defining disease: yellowing leaves with fuzzy gray mold beneath. Fight it with resistant cultivars, wide spacing for air flow, and dry foliage. Infected leaves stay safe. per Minnesota
Frost kills it
Extremely cold-sensitive. Wait to plant out until nights stay above 50 F (10 C) and days reach the 70s F; even 50 F blackens leaves, and frost kills it. per Clemson
Mint family, no spreading
Despite being a mint relative, basil does not run and spread like true mints: no rhizomes or runners, just a tidy clump that reseeds only from flowers left to mature. per NC State
What pairs well with Basil
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Cleome
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Sweet Alyssum
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; lower at 5 in, for the front of the border.
Dill
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Shares full sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; climbs to 8.2 ft behind it, height without the footprint; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Mandevilla
Shares full sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; climbs to 9.8 ft behind it, height without the footprint; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Moonflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Tropical Hibiscus
Shares full sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.