Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Ocimum basilicum, commonly called basil, is a tender culinary herb of the mint family Lamiaceae, native to tropical regions stretching from Central Africa to Southeast Asia and now grown around the world through cultivation across Mediterranean, temperate and subtropical climates. Plants typically stand thirty to one hundred fifty centimeters tall and behave as an annual in temperate climates, though they persist as a perennial where winters are mild. Basil is a central ingredient of pesto, the Italian sauce, and appears throughout global cuisines, while also carrying religious significance in Greek Orthodox and other Eastern Orthodox church ceremonies and having inspired literary works including a John Keats poem and associated Pre-Raphaelite paintings. More than sixty cultivars have been developed, including sweet Genovese basil, Thai basil and lemon basil, with further hybrids continuing to expand the range available to growers.