Introducing Basil

Basil has earned one of the coveted spots in my indoor garden. It was pretty much a shoe-in from the beginning: it was part of the starter project outlined in my herb book, and I love the smell and taste of it. I plan on making pesto with my homegrown basil harvest, as well as indulging in one of my favorite antipasto dishes, caprese. Let’s get to know this delightful herb a little better.

Basil is the genus, Ocimum. There are a 64 known species of Ocimum, and I will be growing the Sweet Basil species, Ocimum basilicum. Basil’s history is tumultuous, as it was not always held in such a favorable light as it is today: at one point this little herb symbolized hatred. Culpeper notes in his Complete Herbal that “it was an herb of Mars, and under the Scorpion, and perhaps therefore called Basilicon, and it is no marvel if it carry a kind of virulent quality with it.” Culpeper’s erroneous use of the word Basilicon—instead of the intended Basilisk—illustrates a long-standing confusion between two related Greek words that are credited for the herb’s namesake: basilicon (kingly herb) and basilicas (basilisk) (Tucker & Debagio, 2000). A simple misinterpretation of two phonetically-similar words granted Basil a seat in the Kingdom of Evil. Luckily this undeserved sordid reputation was dismantled as the centuries went by.

Basil is an annual or perennial that requires full sun and moist conditions for optimal growth. Planting different species of Basil in close proximity is usually not a good idea because Basil is a promiscuous plant. Naughty little herb! This won’t be an issue for me, at least not at this point, since I’m only growing one type of species. Small, white flowers adorn the mature basil plant. However, if I don’t want to keep repotting Basil every year, I’m going to have to snip the flowers off to encourage continued leaf growth.

There have been some reports of the essential oil in Ocimum basilicum having potential cancer-fighting properties (Manosroi et al., 2006), in addition to antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties (Bozin et al., 2006; Chiang et al., 2005). Ocimum basilicum also contains estragole, a substance that has been found to act as a carcinogenic agent in rats and mice (EMEA, 2004). Extensive studies have not been conducted using human subjects, but I think following the wisdom of an old adage will probably avert any potential harm: Everything in moderation. The familiar saying by Paracelus also comes to mind: “Dose makes the poison.”

I feel good about selecting Sweet Basil as one of my herbs. I thought about growing some Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) because I enjoy the tea made from Holy Basil leaves, but I’m more excited about using fresh Basil to make pesto and caprese. Yum!