ht: 36 in.
lc: blue-green with red veins
ns: may be a variant of O. americanum

ht: 30 in.
lc: dark green
flavor: lime scented
lu: DeBaggio Herbs recommends using it with fish.

ht: 36 in. tall x 24 in. wide
flavor: citrus type with slight clove hints
fc: white to pinkish
ll: larger than O. x citriodorum 'Lemon' with which it is compared
lu: popular for adding to salads and even ice tea. Debaggio Herbs says it is terrific mixed
lu: generously (after fine chopping) with ground beef to create a sumptuous burger.
so: Sunny Boy Gardens

fc: white
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ht: 14-18 in.
lc: dark green mottled in red or purple
flavor: sweet and spicy both, tending to be strong overall.
lu: very showy ornamental leaf that is lovely in salads (much like 'Thai Purple') or on the plant.
in: Thompson & Morgan 1999 but said by them to be an heirloom variety.

ht: 36 in.
ha: upright, even columnar
flavor: sweet
ll: smaller than modern commercial strains
or: Australia as least as the seed source
fq: non-flowering or very sparsely flowering, thus more suitable for culninary production.
so: Sunny Boy Gardens

ht: 18 in.
flavor: sweet cinnamon-type scent
ind: inflorescence larger than species typical
fc: white

ht: 15 in.
ha: mounding
flavor: non-bitter

ha: compact
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ht: 18 in.
lc: purple
flavor: very mild, subtle
or: said to be Germany despite the name

ha: vigorous
lw: wider blade than species typical
lc: green
flavor: sweeter flavor

ha: dense, compact
ns: may be same as 'Green Bush'?

ht: 9 in.
ha: compact, mounded, remaining neat all season. T&M compares it to a boxwood look.
ns: probably the same as strains sold as 'Bush' or 'Green Bush'
so: Thompson & Morgan

ht: 24-30 in.
st: bright red, showy
lc: a few of the newest leaves red like the stems
so: Cook's Garden (online catalog 2005)

ht: 20-36 in. - reports vary widely
st: brown to red, showy
ll: 2 in.
lc: matte green, not glossy like some cultivars with very distinct venation.
flavor: spicy cinnamon-scented, being loaded with methyl cinnamate. Strong flavor is retained
flavor: even after cooking.
fc: bright lavender to light purple, rather showy
or: two reports trace it to Mexico

fc: purple
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ha: compact
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ha: more compact than 'Genovese'
flavor: similar 'Genovse', that is strong in the traditional Italian-style compounds.

ls: lettuce-like, often crisped at the margins or more heavily toothed
ll: 3-4 in. - longer than var. basilicum as typical
lw: wider than var. basilicum
eval: cultivars 'Mammoth' and 'Napoletano' are improved commercial selections

ll: 5-6 in. - one of the larger leaves of any selection, thus yielding more biomass per plants
la: blades are so large they often curve and pucker.
eval: popular for commercial production.
flavor: sweet
us: the British spelling of the epithet is also seen.

ht: 24 in.
fq: slow-bolting, that is slow to flower, making it more productive for culinary harvest.
or: southern Italy
ll: to 5 in. long - very large and something like 'Mammoth'
lw: 4-5 in. - much wider than most cultivars
ls: puckered
flavor: similar to 'Genovse' in that traditional Italy spicy flavor. Anise and mint in faint levels.

ht: 24-30 in.
ha: distinctly columnar, nice and elegant when well grown.
ll: slightly smaller blade than species typical
ls: more cordiform than species
flavor: cinnamon and clove scents
inflor: compact conical inflor. to 4 in. long, rather showy
fc: white

ht: 12-15 in.
lc: dark glossy purple but sometimes mottled in green and not uniform. Green seedlings also
lc: occur and end up ruining the strain. Strong, fertilized plants can approach a blackish-purple
lc: look from a distance. In many plantings it ends up being purplish-bronze and not so dark.
flavor: strongly scented
or: Univ. of CT, Storrs CT USA
lu: popular for flavor as well as ornament. It adds red color to basil vinegar and gives color
lu: to salads and pesto sauces.
eval: 'Red Rubin' is regarded as superior (see below)
aw: AAS
so: Sunny Boy Gardens

ht: 12 in. tall x 18 in. wide
ha: compact but not truly dwarf
ll: smaller than species typical
ns: there is little evidence to date to distinguish 'Bush' from 'Green Bush' and 'Dwarf Bush'

ht: 36 in. tall x 24 in. wide
ha: mounded
st: dark reddish-purple
lc: dark purple with thin lime green margin
flavor: anise scent
fc: reddish-purple, showy
or: Debaggio Herbs selected from 'Purple Thai' before 2000

lc: light green
ll: smaller than species typical

ha: compact, presumably flat-topped
lc: purple
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ht: 36 in. or more
flavor: strong sweet taste
or: DeBaggio Herbs (online catalog 2001)

ht: 24-30 in.
ha: uniform from seed, taller and stronger than species typical
lc: dark green, often puckered or textured
ll: 3-4 in. - larger than species typical, but larger plants known to give 5 in. blades
lw: 2-3 in. - wider than species typical
flavor: stronger, more "traditional Italian" type flavor. Loved for its balanced taste that is not
flavor: too spicy nor overly sweet. Popular for pesto. One rarely goes back to unnamed basil
flavor: seed after cooking with this strain.
fc: nearly pure white
inflor: 6-8 in. tall
ns: the 'Genoa Green Improved' is not sufficiently distinct in our opinion to be separated.
so: Petes Herbs
so: Sunny Boy Gardens

ha: smaller than 'Genovse'
flavor: 'Genovse' type flavor, that is, rich of the Italian type flavor components.
so: Richters

lc: purple
lm: ruffled
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ls: more narrowly acute than species typical and distinctly ribbed with sunken veins.
flavor: presumably of the 'Genovese' or "spicy Italian" type

lc: green
lw: medium-sized
ns: one strain known as 'Columnar Greek' belongs to O. x citrodorum
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ha: compact
lc: dark green
ll: smaller than species typical
flavor: rich scented
id: similar to 'Picollo' and perhaps derived from it
in: Burpee 1983

ha: compact
flavor: very aromatic
lc: green, sometimes reported as darker green
ns: likely the same as 'Bush Green' (see above)

ht: 24 in. tall x 24 in. wide
ha: uniform from seed, globose
lc: green
flavor: spicy

ht: 18 in.
ha: globose, compact
lc: green
ll: smaller than species typical
flavor: rich, spicy

st: purple
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ht: 17-24 in.
ha: neat, globose
lc: green
la: more pointed than species typical
flavor: belnd of anise, spices, and cinnamon
or: DeBaggio Herbs (online catalog 2001) from seed obtained in Greece by Chris and Popi
or: Karamanos and named for them.

ll: much larger than species typical
flavor: rich Italian-type basil flavor
so: Park Seed

flavor: lemon-scented and sweet
ns: it is currently unclear which of the two names above has nomenclatural priority.
so: Park Seed

ha: columnar
flavor: spicy and also with fruity and floral notes
fq: said to be non-flowering
lu: said to very adaptable to indoor container culture. Reports of its affinity for bedding with
lu: 'Green Goddess' are purely fun rumors.

ns: Tucker and Debaggio state that flat-leafed and crisped variants are sold under this name.

ht: 24 in.
st: reddish-purple tints, semi-showy
ls: more cordiform or heart-shaped than species typical
fc: light pink
flavor: licorice or anise type scent, being high in the compound methyl chavicol. Minty overtones.
id: 'Thai Purple' and 'Ebony Wonder' are also anise-scented but have distinctly colored leaves.
id: However, we have seen the so-called Anise Basil listed as a synonym of Thai basal. The
id: real 'Thai Purple' will be heavily mottled purple or red in the foliage while basic 'Licorice'
id: is not .

ht: 15 in. tall x 16-17 in. wide
ha: dense, compact, fine-textured, very uniform from seed
lc: dark green
fc: calyx purple, corolla white, a showy flower useful for flavorful garnishes as well as garden ornament
lu: high oil content for culinary use and also showy flowers and uniform habit. It is said to be ready for harvest
lu: in as little as 50 days from seed, while full maturity (complete shape, flowers) comes in just 80-90 days.
aw: AAS 2002

ht: 12 in.
ha: vigorous yet compact
lt: blade large and smooth
so: Cook's Garden (online catalog 2005)

flavor: spicy scent
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ht: 10-12 in. - very dwarf
ha: compact, dense, usually globose
lu: suitable for edging and knot gardens with the herbal theme. It is smaller than some of the
lu: other compact globose types. It needs good air circulation and soil drainage to keep it
lu: from rotting or worse.
so: Park Seed

ht: 12-15 in.
ha: compact globe
ll: much smaller than species typical
id: one grower reports that is quite different from 'Spicy Bush' but no specifics are given.
ns: it is probably allied to 'Minimum' if not the same.

ha: compact, globose
lc: green
lw: small blades
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

ht: 12-18 in. - in some gardens it is stays 4-8 in. tall
ha: compact, globose, usually very dense but sometimes splitting by the end of the year
ll: smaller than species typical
la: more sharply acute than species typical
flavor: spicy with hints of mint and citrus
ns: it has been said that 'Spicy Globe' is just a rename of the old 'Minimum' while others
ns: consider it distinct. Opinions vary but we have no clear taxonomic data to separate them.
ns: this cultivar is rather old so no doubt some variations have sprung up. There are numerous
ns: so-called dwarf or "perfect globe" strains with a much reduced green leaf. In our observation
ns: 'Minette' is a stable, uniform strain for extremely small statue and neatness.
so: Sunny Boy Gardens

ha: globose, compact
lc: purple
ll: much smaller than species typical, often just 1 in. long or less.
ns: many of the globose, small-leaved purple strains belong to this cultivar. But for marketing
ns: reasons and due to the length of the name, other names have been preferred.

lc: green tinged dark purple
st: purple
la: "arrow shaped"
flavor: anise
fc: light violet with purple markings, showy
lu: DeBaggio Herbs grow it fro marinading fish including tuna.
or: Kim Kuebel TX USA from seed of New Guinea origin.
in: DeBaggio Herbs (online catalog 2001)

ht: 24-30 in.
flavor: Genovese-type
dr: resistant to fusarium wilt which can be a problem in large commercial fields.
prop: F1 hybrid
in: DeBaggio Herbs (online catalog 2001)

lc: purple
ll: smaller than 'Red Rubin'
so: Park Seed

ha: globose
ls: more rounded blade than species typical
flavor: intense "traditional Italian" basil flavor, being rich in the compound linalool.

ht: 12-14 in.
lc: uniformly dark purple from seed
flavor: sweet and spicy both
in: Thompson & Morgan 1999

ht: 18-24 in.
ha: compact
lc: rich purple
ls: heavily ruffled and crisped
lu: popular for flavoring and color basil vinegar as well as a showy ornamental.
aw: AAS
ns: it is sometimes listed under O. x citriodorum. There have also been rumors that it derives
ns: from a cross to Perilla frutescens 'Crispa' due to the similarity of the crisped purple leaves.
ns: The later account is likely untrue since it has none of the flavor of that related genus.
so: Thompson & Morgan

lc: purple
ns: this is the original purple-leaved strain. Now it is rarely sold due to the popularity of the
ns: superior selections 'Dark Opal', 'Red Rubin', 'Purple Ruffles', and others.
or: known in gardens since 1832 when it was mentioned by George Bentham.

flavor: aromatic of the Thai type flavor. The most aromatic Thai flavor per Richters.
eval: superior to 'Siam Queen' according to Richters (online catalog 2001)
so: Richters

ns: perhaps a logical spelling error. We saw it first listed in the Univ. of TN trials.

ht: 18-24 in. but one report to 36 in. exists
lc: dark reddish-purple, not reverting to green shoots as in 'Dark Opal' and not producing
lc: green seedlings like that and some other strains. It is darker than 'Dark Opal' overall.
ll: larger than 'Dark Opal'
flavor: sweeter flavor, being useful for vinegar or colorful garnish.
eval: replaces 'Dark Opal' for larger leaf (more productive), darker color, and lack of green
eval: seedlings and reversions.
fc: dark pink, rather showy
ns: there is one unconfirmed report it is cross of an O. basilicum variant x O. forskolei. If true the
ns: cultivar should be noted as Ocimum 'Red Rubin' without species epithet.
or: Denmark
so: Sunny Boy Gardens

ht: 30-40 in.
st: reddish-purple
lc: purplish green, but mainly so in the new growth. One report lists it is as mostly purple but such
lc: only true of the stems. Mature leaves are bright green.
ls: elliptic to narrowly ovate, far narrower than species typical
flavor: of the Thai type with adding more intense licorise or anise scent.
fc: rose-violet, rather showy
aw: AAS 1997

flavor: rich flavor without hints of mint
lu: a commercial variety used for making pesto products.

ha: compact, dense
flavor: rich spicy
ns: said to be distinct from 'Spicy Globe' = 'Minimum' but another report says it is 'Minimum'!

ht: 10-12 in.
ha: compact, very high leaf count for such small plants compared to other dwarves
lc: bright green
fq: very slow to flower, giving longer leaf production in summer
so: Cook's Garden (online catalog 2005)

flavor: something of a collective name for strains with a sweeter (vs. spicy or citrus) flavor

ht: 30-40 in. - much larger than most cultivars
ll: 3-4 in. - longer than species typical
lw: 1.5-2 in. - wider than species typical
flavor: sweet and spicy both with high linalool content.
ns: it is related to 'Picollo' or 'Picolo Verde Fine'. As this name has been given the AAS aware we will retain
ns: this name for that specific strain.
aw: AAS

lc: green, drying without blackening when harvested
flavor: mild and sweet but with cinnamon spice and clove flavors too.
lu: a leading strain for dried herb production according to Richters. Useful in pesto or salads.
so: Richters

st: purple
flavor: anise and clove scents.
ns: its relation to 'Purple Thai'

ns: the name is used for what is called 'Thai Purple'. There is medium-sized leaf green selection sold as 'Thai'
ns: also. There is also a clone of O. x citrioodrum called 'Thai' which is listed separately from the
ns: purple-leaved Thai strain. The so-called 'True Thai' name is really 'Siam Queen'.

ht: 24 in.
st: purple to purplish-green
lc: green mottled and suffused purple, rather showy
ll: longer more narrower blade than species typical
flavor: anise
fc: lavender, showy
eval: 'Ebony Wonder' is selected from it and is purple with lime margins. This strain is very
eval: lovely for both the garden color and its presentation as a whole leaf in salads.

ha: compact
li: Tucker, A.O. and T. DeBaggio. 2000. The big book of herbs. Interweave Press.

lc: purple
ll: very small blade
id: 'Minimum Purpuracens' is of similar traits and is probably the same.

flavor: rich aroma
ll: larger than species typical

lc: purple
lw: full-sized

lc: reddish-purple and notably glossy
ll: 1 in.
ns: probably an invalid name which by the codes would need to published before 1959 to make
ns: lawful use of the Latin.

ht: 36-48 in. - very tall
ha: very upright

ht: 30 in.
lc: light green
fc: white
flavor: light lemony scent

ht: 48 in.
lc: thin creamy-white margin to 10% on a light green base color
ls: narrowly elliptic
fq: non-flowering
or: sport of 'Columnar Greek' and similar except for variegations
lu: a very edible ornamental - pesto for the eyes.

ht: 48 in.
ha: upright, usually more woody than O. basilicum over the season
flavor: spice and cinnamon
fc: white tinged lavender, showy
inflor: 7 in. clusters
lu: gives a very exotic look to any herb garden.

ht: 24 in.
lc: green brushed violet, varying with the amount of sunlight
flavor: anise with spice
fc: violet, matching the leaf pigment
lu: DeBaggio Herbs recommends it for coloring up salads and even floral bouquets
or: DeBaggio Herbs (online catalog 2001) and said to be a hybrid. They introduced it in 1993
or: in honor of herbalist Holly Schimizu.

ns: a listed hybrid

ht: 36-60 in.
fc: white
inflor: 4 in. stems include up to 12 clustered headfs
flavor: strong sweet taste
or: DeBaggio Herbs (online catalog 2001) from Jon Lane who obtained it in African where it
or: had medicinal use. Species affinity is yet unreported.

ht: 36-48 in. but old plants reach 60" where this is winter hardy and gets shrubby
ha: erect, more likely to be woody and shrubby than O. basilicum. Has the reputation for
ha: continuous strong growth throughout the year.
st: purple, very showy
lc: purplish-green, sometimes with a blue hue. May be green with red veins in some conditions.
flavor: nice camphor type scent
infl: 12-15 in. long, large and showy
fq: while showy, flowering is continuous during the year, requiring it to be pinched regulalry
fq: if leaf production is to be maximized. It might be best to grow several, allowing some to
fq: be pinched for leaf production, leaving others to develop their floral splendor.
prop: said to be mostly sterile, thus not introducing unwanted seedlings.
so: Sunny Boy Gardens
so: Petes Herbs