The MGS Forum
Plant identification => Plant identification => Topic started by: MikeHardman on November 05, 2011, 09:52:17 PM
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Greek basil. You know - the upright perennial one, with slightly smaller and stouter leaves than the short-lived culinary one.
Yes, I know it is very common, but I wonder if anybody could tell me the proper name for it. I get lots of mixed info from web sites.
Perhaps Ocimum basilicum × citriodorum 'Greek Columnar' ?
Most of my plants are shy flowerers, but one has begun colouring-up and metamorphosing at the top (the one that gets the most light) - see piccy taken today.
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That is so pretty! Never seen that one before!
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Glad you like it :)
Unfortunately, I shall not see that one again - since it died (along with all my other basils) during last winter's chills :(
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I am perhaps wrong but I thought that Greek basil had small rounded leaves, green with no purple blush and was very bushy, nothing like the plant you have here?
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Perhaps having re-read your posting you aren't saying that the picture is Greek basil?
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John, I suppose you are referring to the small-leaved basils, like ‘Fino verde’ or other similar globe basils. The one that Mike has, which he calls Greek basil, sounds like Greek columnar basil, Ocimum x africanum (synonym O. x citrodorum) ‘Lesbos’, which is perennial and very heat tolerant, I have often seen it for sale in nurseries near us.
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I've fished out an old photograph (slide) from about 20 years ago when it was a popular plant in London for cooking with. Perhaps not rounded leaves but certainly small and very densely bushy. This was always referred to as Greek Basil which may of course have been wrong!