Plant
Sweet Basil
Ocimum basilicumAlso known as Great Basil, Genovese Basil, Common Basil
Sweet basil is an aromatic annual or short-lived perennial herb with glossy, light green leaves and dense terminal spikes of small white or purplish flowers. Rich in essential oils like eugenol and linalool, its fragrant foliage deters insect pests while attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Tender stems thrive in warm, sun-drenched environments across gardens and tropical regions globally, turning dark and dropping leaves at the first onset of frost.
AromaticCultivatedFlowering
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Slugs
- Japanese Beetles
- Aphids
ThreatsFrost, downy mildew, Japanese beetles, aphids
HabitatsGardens, cultivated fields, tropical forest edges
Life span1 year (annual in cold zones) or 2–3 years (tropical zones)
Classification
- OrderLamiales
- FamilyLamiaceae
- GenusOcimum
- SpeciesOcimum basilicum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe and grow at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Harvesting: Pinch off top leaf clusters regularly to encourage bushy growth and delay flowering.
- Sunlight: Provide full sun and well-draining soil to maximize aromatic oil concentration.
- Temperature: Protect plants from cold conditions, as leaves discolor and drop below 10°C.
Pollinator Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Swarochi Tathagath, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Family Member (c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Family Member Margalob / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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