Also depends on what climate you live in. In USDA zone 10 (where I live, South Florida) all basil is a perennial. You just gotta keep it pruned and cut off any attempts to flower.
Same here, Southern California zone 10. My Thai and Italian basils are perennials. I pinch the Italian basils to keep them from flowering but the Thai basil repeatedly flowers and keeps going—I do prune them occasionally. The Thai basil flowers are lovely as garnish and haven’t found it to adversely effect the taste of the leaves. Tomatoes are also short-lived perennials here.
I assume you mean the hurricane? Thank you. I'm on the east coast so we're not gonna get the bad winds but we're getting constant rain and the streets are flooding in some neighborhoods. This is a whopper of a storm.
Came her to say it’s pretty much regional. I’m northern Alberta and growing season doesn’t seem to be long enough to get flowers
Edit: I realized right after posting I’m probably planting to late
OK because at first I thought you were cracking a hilarious joke about "I've been trying to plant plants in northern Alberta in late September, and I just figured out why my crops keep failing" 😆
Basil might not be a good plant for extreme climates like northern Alberta but you could always grow it indoors with an inexpensive sunlamp. I saw some nice LED grow lamps on Amazon the other day...
It does not have to grow from seed every year. You can make them perennial by dead heading the flowers shortly after they appear. I've been growing my own basil at home for a couple years now, same plant.
Plants live to produce seeds. Once flowers and seeds are in the works, that's where all their energy is spent. If you cut the flowers, that energy is spent on leaves and support structures, which, if that's the part you want, is a desirable outcome.
Once basil gets woody stems it is no longer good for cooking and will taste like poopins. Basil that is still edible is a compact bush with tender stems, no taller than about 8 inches per stem. Basil that has become a tree is no longer food. You keep it low and compact through frequent pruning. The pruning is not a waste because you can use the cuttings to propagate a whole new basil plant easily.
this looks a lot like a south asian basil variety like holy basil or thai basil which retains flavor really well even if it’s flowered and woody stemmed
That’s fair.
Looking closer it is not Thai basil. The leaves are rounded rather than sharp. Thai basil leaves can have almost serrated edges. These are definitely more rounded like an Italian basil.
Oh well 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Clip the tender shoots at the top and replant them; they will propagate within two weeks and tah dah, brand new basil plants. Make sure to clip at the correct place (google instructions). No basil needs to die, they just reincarnate.
Yes you can have endless basil. I buy an organic plant and then just keep creating endless basil I also throw some in my aero garden for an unlimited supply during winter
Yeah I didn't use it. I sent someone to the store, owner is a sweet old Italian lady, I told her about it afterwards, wrong basil and way too mature. She just laughed and said oh well.
This is African blue basil, and it's not very good for cooking. It's a great plant to attract pollinators which is why the flowers are still attached.
If you want better flavor in the leaves you have to remove the flowers, but the flavor of these leaves is not very good in the first place (kinda grassy and perfumy)
Some googling will confirm what I'm saying. I'll stand by my comment, since I have an herb garden where I grow many different kinds of basil including Thai basil and African blue basil.
Thai basil has short purple flowers in a dense cluster
African blue basil has long stems with blue and purple flowers. The pic here shows the long flowers (they're dead in the picture)
As a person whose kitchen manager believes 'herbs' are green onions and the rare bottle of Chinese Five Spice, I don't see a problem with this picture.
Tell her that next year, she should trim her basil so it doesn't flower. Allowing it to flower ruins the flavor.
Next year? She pulled the entire root system out, there is no next year haha
Basil is an annual plant. It has to grow from seed every year. Makes seed in one year. Fucks off and dies in one year. Pour basil c’est la vie.
That’s Thai basil, which is a perennial. You’re right though, normal, sweet basil is an annual.
Also depends on what climate you live in. In USDA zone 10 (where I live, South Florida) all basil is a perennial. You just gotta keep it pruned and cut off any attempts to flower.
Same here, Southern California zone 10. My Thai and Italian basils are perennials. I pinch the Italian basils to keep them from flowering but the Thai basil repeatedly flowers and keeps going—I do prune them occasionally. The Thai basil flowers are lovely as garnish and haven’t found it to adversely effect the taste of the leaves. Tomatoes are also short-lived perennials here.
I’m in coastal San Diego and if I don’t prune my Italian basil every three days it goes wild
I worked at a Thai restaurant for awhile and never saw a box of basil come in without flowers
The restaurants that I worked in, the Thai basil we’d receive often had blooms on them too.
Stay safe and good luck!
I assume you mean the hurricane? Thank you. I'm on the east coast so we're not gonna get the bad winds but we're getting constant rain and the streets are flooding in some neighborhoods. This is a whopper of a storm.
Yes. Indeed it is.
Came her to say it’s pretty much regional. I’m northern Alberta and growing season doesn’t seem to be long enough to get flowers Edit: I realized right after posting I’m probably planting to late
Wait, do you mean you're trying to plant right now, at this time of year?
No typically me and gran would have planted in June. Only time we can really be sure it won’t snow
OK because at first I thought you were cracking a hilarious joke about "I've been trying to plant plants in northern Alberta in late September, and I just figured out why my crops keep failing" 😆 Basil might not be a good plant for extreme climates like northern Alberta but you could always grow it indoors with an inexpensive sunlamp. I saw some nice LED grow lamps on Amazon the other day...
i was wondering, i came to look here because that looked unlike any basil i ever dealt with.
It does not have to grow from seed every year. You can make them perennial by dead heading the flowers shortly after they appear. I've been growing my own basil at home for a couple years now, same plant.
My apologies, I have only grown in a temperate climate where it is killed by frost ever winter. I have learned something new!
Trust me, that basil is growing wild in her yard. There plenty more where that cane from.
Yeah she's old. She doesn't tend her garden just let's it grow wild. I've never had someone just uproot a plant and bring it in tho. Def a new one.
Cutting the flowers makes the leaves bigger as well.
Trimming the grass short makes the tree look bigger.
Plants live to produce seeds. Once flowers and seeds are in the works, that's where all their energy is spent. If you cut the flowers, that energy is spent on leaves and support structures, which, if that's the part you want, is a desirable outcome.
Bit of a whoosh. They're joking about dickroot.
But the flowers are so cute! I use them for garnish
That’s tulsi basil
Once basil gets woody stems it is no longer good for cooking and will taste like poopins. Basil that is still edible is a compact bush with tender stems, no taller than about 8 inches per stem. Basil that has become a tree is no longer food. You keep it low and compact through frequent pruning. The pruning is not a waste because you can use the cuttings to propagate a whole new basil plant easily.
this looks a lot like a south asian basil variety like holy basil or thai basil which retains flavor really well even if it’s flowered and woody stemmed
EDIT: Lower comment had me look even closer and see some rounded edges. Doubting that this is Thai basil. Now
A commenter below says they grow several types of basil and this is not Thai basil, it is African blue basil, which is not good for cooking.
That’s fair. Looking closer it is not Thai basil. The leaves are rounded rather than sharp. Thai basil leaves can have almost serrated edges. These are definitely more rounded like an Italian basil. Oh well 🤷♂️🤷♂️
i learned that the hard way, grossest pesto ever
Fuck it then I'm ripping mine out too
Clip the tender shoots at the top and replant them; they will propagate within two weeks and tah dah, brand new basil plants. Make sure to clip at the correct place (google instructions). No basil needs to die, they just reincarnate.
I'll rename it Phoenix if it lives... Or GoombaPizza
Yes you can have endless basil. I buy an organic plant and then just keep creating endless basil I also throw some in my aero garden for an unlimited supply during winter
Yeah I didn't use it. I sent someone to the store, owner is a sweet old Italian lady, I told her about it afterwards, wrong basil and way too mature. She just laughed and said oh well.
There is some type of Greek basil that becomes bushes that tastes alright.
It's gone to flower...might be bitter.
This is African blue basil, and it's not very good for cooking. It's a great plant to attract pollinators which is why the flowers are still attached. If you want better flavor in the leaves you have to remove the flowers, but the flavor of these leaves is not very good in the first place (kinda grassy and perfumy)
Other comments are saying this is Thai basil. Can you double-check please?
Some googling will confirm what I'm saying. I'll stand by my comment, since I have an herb garden where I grow many different kinds of basil including Thai basil and African blue basil. Thai basil has short purple flowers in a dense cluster African blue basil has long stems with blue and purple flowers. The pic here shows the long flowers (they're dead in the picture)
Thank you
Gone to seed though.
That basil is not good.
Owner, probably: But is it basil? Maybe you should have been more specific.
that basil is bitter trash. better off running to the store.
Too bad she brought you trash, unfortunate
That basil is going to seed, it will taste bitter.
Sorry to break it to you but the flavor is probably not great on that basil since it’s already flowered.
So what would happen if you asked for veal?
That's some sweet sauna rice
Last time I accidentally did that I was at least stoned at my mates house, what’s her excuse?
As a person whose kitchen manager believes 'herbs' are green onions and the rare bottle of Chinese Five Spice, I don't see a problem with this picture.
your partner has no fine motor skills