# Sweet basil (*Ocimum basilicum*)

Sweet basil is a yummy herb that smells amazing! It's often used in cooking to make dishes taste delicious, especially in pasta and pizza.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens

![Sweet basil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Basil-Basilico-Ocimum_basilicum-albahaca.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Basil-Basilico-Ocimum_basilicum-albahaca.jpg)

## Appearance

The Sweet basil has bright green, oval leaves with a slightly pointed tip, sometimes cupped. Its small, delicate white or pale pink flowers grow in slender spikes, contrasting with its often purplish stems.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Lamiaceae
- **Genus:** Ocimum

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Egyptians used basil for mummification and as medicine.
- Its name comes from a Greek word meaning "royal," fit for a king!
- Rubbing basil leaves on your skin can help keep mosquitos away!
- Some basil types taste like lemon, cinnamon, or even licorice!

## Special abilities

- **Scented Shield:** Sweet basil can produce strong essential oils that help it deter some pests and attract helpful pollinators.
- **Flavor Factory:** Sweet basil has diverse chemical compounds creating unique aromas and flavors that help it interact with its environment.
- **Quick Grower:** Sweet basil can grow rapidly from seed to maturity, allowing it to complete its life cycle in a single season.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-60 cm
- **Spread:** 20-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Attracted by its flowers for nectar.
- **Eats:** Beet armyworm (*Spodoptera exigua*) — Larvae feed on basil leaves.
- **Eats:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Cultivated and used as a culinary herb.

## Traits

- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Spice](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spice): This human use trait indicates species from which spices are derived, used for flavoring, preserving food, or as aromatic agents.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash your hands after touching plants, and ask an adult before tasting any herbs.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Sweet basil?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Sweet basil?

30-60 cm

### How wide does Sweet basil spread?

20-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on Sweet basil?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Sweet basil bloom?

Summer

### Is Sweet basil edible?

Yes

### Is Sweet basil toxic?

None

### What is Sweet basil's lifecycle?

Annual

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Sweet basil: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sweet-basil)