What is Ocimum gratissimum?

Ocimum gratissimum L. (1753) is a perennial sub-shrub belonging to the family Lamiaceae — the same as mint, thyme, rosemary, lavender and sage. Its epithet gratissimum is the Latin superlative of gratus — "most agreeable, most welcome" — a qualifier that reflects the exceptional status of this plant in all tropical cultures where it is found. Native to tropical Africa and South Asia (India, Sri Lanka), it has spread throughout the entire tropical world — sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia, Central and South America — where it has become deeply integrated into local culinary, medicinal and spiritual traditions.

In India it is known as Vana Tulsi (Forest Tulsi) and Rama Tulsi; in Benin it is called Tchayo and constitutes the 4th most consumed leafy vegetable in the country. Its principal essential oils — eugenol and thymol, according to chemotype — give it its characteristic aromatic and therapeutic properties, rich in antibacterial, antifungal and insecticidal activities recognised by numerous international pharmacological studies.

What are the unique characteristics of Ocimum gratissimum?

• Powerful and unique fragrance — clove, thyme and camphor notes: its absolute olfactory signature. When leaves are crushed, the released aroma is intense, warm and spicy — a combination of clove, thyme and camphor or citrus notes depending on the chemotype. This fragrance is far more powerful, complex and persistent than that of common Mediterranean basil. Dried leaves also retain their aromatic potency far better than annual basil.
• Perennial sub-shrub of 1.5 to 2.5 m: where common basil is an annual not exceeding 50 cm, O. gratissimum forms a true bushy, densely branched shrublet reaching 2 to 2.5 m in height for 1 m in spread. Stems become woody at the base with age. The plant can remain productive for 5 to 10 years in suitable conditions.
• Large oval-lanceolate velvety leaves: leaves are opposite, oval to lanceolate, 3 to 12 cm long by 2 to 4 cm wide, pubescent (slightly velvety to the touch), finely toothed or crenate, dark to pale green, sometimes with purplish veins. Can be used fresh or shade-dried for storage.
• Flower spikes of small white blooms: from July through autumn, terminal flower spikes of 7 to 20 cm bear numerous small two-lipped white (sometimes pinkish) flowers, highly attractive to pollinators. The plant flowers at approximately 135 days and the flowering period lasts about 2 months.
• Powerful natural insect repellent: the leaf fragrance — rich in eugenol, thymol and β-ocimene — effectively repels mosquitoes, flies and many other insects. Leaves can be crushed and rubbed on skin, burned as fumigation, or the plant simply grown near living areas.
• Edible leafy vegetable: in Benin and many West African countries, the leaves are used in substantial quantities as a leafy vegetable — cooked like spinach, incorporated into meat broths, peanut sauces, wild mango dishes, the Cameroonian Ndomba papillote. A Beninese official recipe requires 2 kg of leafy stems for 4 people.
• Nutritionally rich: the leaves contain approximately 22% protein, 13% fibre and 4% lipids — a remarkable nutritional composition for an aromatic plant.

Ocimum gratissimum: a millennial medicinal panacea

Ocimum gratissimum is considered a Master Medicinal Plant in all tropical regions. Recent pharmacological studies have evidenced its activities:

• Antibacterial and antifungal — active against many common pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans.
• Antimalarial — traditionally and scientifically recognised for activity against Plasmodium falciparum.
• Insect-repellent and larvicidal — powerful repellent of Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes, vectors of malaria and dengue.
• Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic — traditionally used against fevers, respiratory infections, abdominal pain.
• Digestive and gastro-protective — recognised for treating diarrhoea, dysentery, digestive disorders, candidiasis.
• Hepatoprotective and cardioprotective — recent studies have evidenced liver protection against hepatic lesions.
• Anti-cancerous in vitro — pharmacological studies have evidenced cytotoxic activities against breast, prostate, colon and cervical cancer cell lines.

Culinary uses of Ocimum gratissimum

• African cuisine: meat and fish broths, peanut sauces, papillote dishes (Cameroonian Ndomba), stews, wild mango preparations.
• Indian and Asian curries: one or two leaves intensely flavour a curry, rice dish or soup.
• Medicinal infusions: as a warm infusion, the leaves offer their digestive and antipyretic properties — a spiced and comforting herbal tea.
• Grilled meats and fish: leaves added at the end of cooking or in marinades bring an irreplaceable clove-spiced note.
• Salads and raw vegetables: torn (never cut with a knife, to avoid blackening), the leaves bring an original spicy note.
• Pesto and aromatic sauces: an African basil pesto offers a signature aromatics profile far more complex than classic pesto.

How to grow Ocimum gratissimum?

• Light: full sun or partial shade in very hot regions. Heat and humidity are its two key requirements — it thrives in subtropical and tropical zones.
• Soil: free-draining, fertile, slightly acidic to neutral, rich in organic matter. A compost-enriched draining compost works perfectly for pot cultivation.
• Watering: regular at the base, without excess — the soil should stay fresh but never waterlogged. Light mulching helps maintain moisture.
• Temperature and hardiness: tropical frost-sensitive plant — does not tolerate negative temperatures (damaged around -1 to -3°C). In France, grow in a heated greenhouse, conservatory or in a pot brought indoors before the first frosts.
• Feeding: apply an aromatic plant fertiliser every 15 days during the growing season. In poor soils, a compost addition at planting will suffice.

What are the care requirements?

• Regular pinching of flower heads: pinch flower buds as they appear to favour leaf production and branching. Leave some stems to flower if you wish to enjoy the bee-friendly flowering.
• Leaf harvesting: harvest regularly by cutting above a leaf pair to stimulate branching. The plant can be harvested several times per year and tolerates severe cuts.
• Leaf conservation: shade-dry the leaves — they retain their aromatic potency remarkably well on drying (losing only 35% biomass, compared to 47% for Mediterranean basil).

Where to grow Ocimum gratissimum?

• In a heated greenhouse or conservatory: its ideal habitat in temperate climates — warmth, light and humidity maintained year-round. It can flower and be harvested almost all year.
• In a large pot on a terrace or balcony: in full sun from May to September outdoors, brought indoors before the first frosts. Its bushy size requires a large pot of at least 40–50 cm diameter.
• Near living and garden areas: its powerful fragrance creates a natural olfactory barrier against mosquitoes and flies — particularly effective in warm weather.
• In a heated tropical or exotic garden: combined with Strelitzia, cannas, ornamental bananas or Hedychium, it integrates perfectly into indoor tropical compositions. Find our other collection aromatics.

What are the advantages for collectors?

• A basil radically different from common basil: a 2-metre aromatic tree, clove/thyme fragrance, large velvety leaves, bee-friendly flowering — everything radically differentiates O. gratissimum from annual Mediterranean basil.
• A Master Medicinal Plant with scientifically documented properties: with hundreds of published international pharmacological studies (representing 16% of all research on the genus Ocimum), it is one of the best-documented plants scientifically available in horticulture.
• A certified natural insect/mosquito repellent: grown outdoors, it actively contributes to natural protection of living spaces against disease-vector insects.
• Fascinating worldwide cultural anchoring: venerated as a sacred plant of Brazilian Candomblé, Beninese leafy vegetable, Indian Vana Tulsi — O. gratissimum carries one of the richest and most universal ethnobotanical histories of any plant available in horticulture.

How to propagate Ocimum gratissimum?

• By cuttings (recommended): take 15 cm stem sections in late spring or summer. Place in a glass of water or directly in moist light substrate. Rapid rooting in 10–15 days. The only method guaranteeing reproduction of the parent ecotype's characteristics.
• By seed: at 20–25°C in spring under glass. Note: the natural germination rate is low (10–40%) due to dormancy. To improve germination, soak seeds in water for 12 hours before sowing and maintain at 25–29°C under electric light — a rate of 70% is then achievable. Prick out after the 2 true leaf stage.