Medicinal plant

Basil

Ocimum basilicum

A digestive culinary herb, best used fresh.

A carminative with traditional digestive support for gas and bloating, and an aromatic culinary herb with antioxidant phytochemicals.

Properties

Aromatic — Rich in aromatic oils that often support digestion or breathing

Carminative — Helps relieve gas, bloating, and digestive discomfort

Energetics
Warming Drying Stimulating
Basil (Ocimum basilicum), historical botanical illustration

Growing and using it

Life cycle

Tender annual.

What to buy

Genovese basil (Ocimum basilicum) seed for a dependable culinary/medicinal sweet basil.

Best way to start

Seed.

Seed starting

Start indoors about 4–6 weeks before the last frost, or direct sow only after soil and nights are reliably warm.