Description
(Ocimum basilicum ‘Greek Columnar’)
This easy-growing basil unfurls small green leaves that boast a rich basil flavour with spicy overtones of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. The columnar growth habit gives this basil a little footprint, making it ideal for small gardens and containers. Because basil doesn’t typically flower, you’ll savour a season-long supply of leaves. Use the flavourful foliage for cooking traditional Italian dishes, sauces, and pesto.
Growing Tips
This quick growing herb like fertile well-drained, moist soil. Will grow well in any herb garden and also in small or large pots.
Use
Basil Greek Columnar enhances most vegetables, pasta and seafood dishes. Blend with pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and olive oil for a delicious pesto. Blend in left over leaves with a dash of olive oil and freeze in ice block trays for winter usage. Basil leaves can be quickly deep-fried (make sure they are very dry) to scatter over other dishes. Basil is delicious with soft white cheeses such as mozzarella with a slice of tomato. Basil stimulates the appetite and helps curb flatulence, perhaps another reason why it works so well with garlic. Basil tea is said to help with dysentery, nausea, and stomach distress due to gas. For the most intense flavour, basil should be added at the end of the cooking process. Prolonged heat will cause basil’s volatile oils to dissipate.
Herb Attributes
| Harvest | Harvest often and give regular applications of Seasol and Power Feed to keep the plant healthy and producing well. |
|---|---|
| Position | Part to full sun. Will not tolerate frost of sudden cold snaps. |
| Height | 120cm |
| Width | 50cm |
| Lifespan | Perennial. |
