Plant Database / Herbs / Holy Basil (Tulsi)
Herbs

Holy Basil (Tulsi)

Ocimum tenuiflorum
Lamiaceae (Mint)

A revered medicinal and tea basil with a clove-pepper aroma. Bees love the flowers - let some bloom.

EdibleAnnualFull sunMedicinalPollinator
Holy Basil (Tulsi) (Ocimum tenuiflorum) illustration — Texas Roots plant database, by Jordan Polasek
Sun
Full sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Rich
pH
6.0-7.0
Hardiness
Warm-season; self-sows
Height
1-2 ft
Spacing
12 in
Days to harvest
60-90

What it is

Holy Basil (Tulsi) (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family. A revered medicinal and tea basil with a clove-pepper aroma. Bees love the flowers - let some bloom.

How to grow it

It wants full sun, water it moderate, and give it rich soil. Target a soil pH around 6.0-7.0. Space plants about 12 in apart. Expect roughly 60-90. Warm-season; self-sows.

How it's used

Holy Basil (Tulsi) is used: tea, fresh, medicinal.

🔎 How to identify it

  • Toothed often-purple leaves
  • Hairy square stems
  • Purple flower spikes

Edibility

PartsLeaves and flowers
UsesTea, fresh, medicinal
CautionNone of note.
🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.

Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.