Purple basil is one of several colorful varieties of sweet basil that has taken herb gardens by storm Its stunning deep purple foliage adds visual interest and pairs beautifully with the pink or lavender flower spikes that form in summer. But is this basil actually a perennial?
The short answer is no – purple basil is not a perennial. Like most other culinary basils it’s an annual plant. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy its beauty and flavor year after year with proper care and cultivation.
Understanding Purple Basil’s Growth Cycle
All basils belong to the plant genus Ocimum and species Ocimum basilicum. Within this species there are many different cultivars or varieties that have been bred for specific traits like flavor, foliage color, or growth habit.
Purple basil is simply a variety of sweet or Genovese basil that expresses anthocyanins, the pigments responsible for its rich purple color. It goes by other names like dark opal, red, or purple ruffles basil.
These stunning purple varieties are still annuals, meaning they complete their entire life cycle within one growing season. You’ll have to replant purple basil every year if you want it to come back.
This quick life cycle is typical of most culinary herbs. Annuals put their energy into rapid growth and flowering rather than developing extensive root systems or woody stems like perennials.
A few exceptions like Greek columnar basil and African blue basil can live longer than one year in warm climates. But purple basil will fade and die once cold weather arrives no matter where it’s planted.
Caring for Purple Basil as an Annual
Even though purple basil won’t come back on its own each year, it’s easy to enjoy fresh crops annually. Follow these tips to keep the vibrant color and delicious flavor coming:
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Start seeds indoors: Get a head start on the growing season by starting seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last expected frost date. Choose a sunny spot and provide bottom heat for best germination.
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Give it full sun: Once outdoor temperatures are warm, harden off seedlings and transplant to the garden. Purple basil needs at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Morning sun is ideal.
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Plant in rich soil: Enrich soil with compost or aged manure before planting. Good drainage is also critical. Space plants 12-18 inches apart.
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Water regularly: Purple basil requires consistently moist soil. Water at the base of plants and use mulch to conserve moisture.
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Fertilize often: Feed with a balanced organic fertilizer every 2-4 weeks. More frequent applications are needed for container-grown plants.
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Harvest frequently: Pick leaves often to encourage new growth. Start harvesting once plants reach 6 inches tall.
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Pull up spent plants: At the end of the season, discard any bolted or frost-damaged basil plants. This prevents diseases from overwintering in the garden.
Enjoying Purple Basil Year-Round
If you want to enjoy purple basil beyond its short growing season, you have a couple options:
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Bring it indoors: Pot up a few plants to grow as annual houseplants over winter. Provide bright light from a south window or grow lights.
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Preserve the harvest: Dry leaves or freeze pesto, compound butter, or chopped basil in ice cube trays for use in winter recipes. The flavor won’t be as vibrant but it’s better than nothing!
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Grow it as a perennial: In USDA Hardiness Zones 10-11 where winters stay above freezing, it’s possible to overwinter purple basil outdoors. Cut back plants before first frost and cover with a cloche for protection.
Perennial Relatives of Purple Basil
While purple basil itself can’t persist for multiple seasons, a few of its perennial basil cousins offer similar ornamental appeal:
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African blue basil: This bushy perennial has green leaves with a hint of purple. It grows 2-3 feet tall in warmer zones 9-11.
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Holy basil: Also called tulsi, it has purple stems and flowers. The leaves are green with a spicy, clove-like flavor perfect for tea.
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Perennial bush basil: There are green and purple-leafed varieties of this shrubby Mediterranean native that grows 3 feet tall and wide.
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Dark opal perennial basil: This variety is actually a perennial selection of the same popular purple basil grown as an annual. It can persist for years in zones 9-11.
The pick of the perennials
Greek columnar basil (Ocimum basilicum spp. It grows 80 cm tall and 60 cm wide, and its upright growth makes it easy to grow and keep clean. It’s great for small herb gardens. The crisp leaves smell great and can be eaten raw in salads or added to soups, sauces, and pasta.
Pink perennial basil (Ocimum basilicum spp. ) grows 1. 5 m high and 1 m wide, and has small mottled purple-green leaves covered with very fine hairs. The spikes of lilac flowers cover the bush in summer. If given plenty of water, the leaves will be succulent and nice to eat. Without water, they can become pungent. The leaves are best for cooking because they have a stronger flavor than the sweet basil. They are often used in Italian dishes, strong sauces, soups, and stews. But finely chopped fresh leaves can be mixed with other herbs in sauces that are like mayonnaise or herb aioli.
White perennial basil (Ocimum basilicum spp. has the same growth pattern as the pink perennial variety, but its leaves are bigger and softer, so you can use them in salads and other dishes that need fresh salad leaves. It produces spikes of white flowers.
Try this for taste!
- When you make your own mayonnaise, chop up dill and pink perennial basil leaves and add them. The sauce can be used to dip fish, potatoes, or pasta, or it can be used to dress a salad.
- When you eat Thai food, the stronger taste of perennial basil leaves goes well. Use fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and sugar to make a quick stir-fry of chicken. Add finely chopped perennial basil leaves and chilies near the end of cooking. Toss the food until the leaves start to wilt.
- Instead of sweet basil and pine nuts, use pink perennial basil and macadamia nuts to make a tasty pesto. A teaspoon of lemon juice that has just been squeezed helps the pesto stay green.
- You can make a simple summer lunch of pesto pasta salad by mixing the pesto with the pasta and adding some of the pasta cooking water to thin the pesto out so it’s more like a sauce. Add chopped ripe tomatoes and sprinkle Parmesan (or Grana Padano) cheese on top.
Call in the pest police
Like other basils, perennial basils keep aphids, asparagus beetles, flies, mites, and tomato hornworms away. This makes them good plants to grow next to fruit trees and vegetables like tomatoes, beans, baby marrow, brinjals, cabbages, and sweet peppers. The pungency of their leaves produces an excellent natural insect spray. Make a strong tea from basil leaves and spray it on plants to get rid of aphids, mites, and bugs, especially those that are on them. To displace ants, add vinegar to the tea and pour the mixture down ant holes or in-between pavers.
Perennial basils like full sun, and well-composted soil that drains well. Water regularly because they need to be consistently moist. Fertilise at least once a month with a potassium-rich fertiliser to encourage healthy leaves and plenty of flowers. Cutting off the dead flower spikes will encourage more flowers. Pinching off the growing tips of young plants will produce bushier growth.
In frosty places, plants need to be covered with frost cloth or moved to a safer spot if they are in a pot. A position that receives full sun, and is sheltered from wind, is best.
Five reasons to fill your garden with perennial basils
- Like rosemary and lavender, pink and white perennial basils can be used as a flowering hedge to line a path, the edges of a formal garden, or the sides of a potager.
- Place them behind flower beds to make them taller or to block out other plants.
- When you plant sweet basil, purple basil, and pink perennial basil together, the leaves will look beautiful because they are all different colors. The spikes of white, pink, and lilac basil flowers will tie the plants together.
- Pollinators, like bees and butterflies, love perennial pink basil, and having them in the garden helps the plants and animals that live there.
- People say that they make the vegetables and fruit grown nearby taste better. They get along well with lilies and other bulbous plants in the flower garden.
Did you know?
After a long day of digging in the garden, adding basil to the bathwater will make you feel refreshed. Add a strong leaf infusion to the bath water. The leaves should be mixed with water in equal parts and left to steep for 20 minutes.
Teatime tip
Basil tea can help your digestion, ease stress and tiredness, or help you fall asleep. Drink it two or three times a day. Place a third of a cup of fresh basil leaves in water that has just been boiled. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Your tea is ready. Cover the cup so the essential oils do not evaporate, then strain and sip. Advertisements.
8 Basil Varieties You Might Not Know About…
FAQ
Is purple basil annual or perennial?
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Common Name
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Purple basil, red basil
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Plant Type
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Annual, herb
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Size
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12-24 in. tall, 12-20 in. wide
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Soil Type
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Full sun
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Soil pH
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Moist but well-drained
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Does purple basil grow in tropics?
Purple basil plant grow and care – herbaceous type of basil of the genus Ocimum also known as Purple ruffles basil, Purple basil annual plant used as edible plant for the leaves also used as ornamental plant and it’s fragrant, can grow in tropic, subtropical, mediterranean or temperate climate and growing in hardiness zone 5+.
Is purple basil a good plant?
Remember that purple basil can be a great companion plant in a vegetable garden or an interesting addition to an edible ornamental garden. Some have found that purple-leaved herbs are less attractive to certain pests than green-leaved varieties, which could come in handy in certain areas.
How to grow purple basil?
Growing purple basis is very similar to taking care of green basil, whether you plant it in your garden or in pots (and if you have a sunny window, you can even grow it indoors ). Since purple basil comes in different heights, make sure to give your plants sufficient space.
How tall does purple basil grow?
The plant itself is very similar to other varieties of basil and it can grow up to 2 feet tall. However, the leaves of purple basil are what set it apart from the rest.