ORNATMENTAL AND USEFUL! BRILLIANT PURPLE FLOWERS AND EMERALD LEAVES – ATTRACTIVE AND BEAUTIFULLY SCENTED TOO!

The Siam Queen basil is such a lovely plant that it doubles as an ornamental. In fact, some gardeners start growing Siam Queen basil in flower beds for the large emerald leaves and brilliant purple flowers. Siam Queen basil is an annual plant used as edible plant for the leaves also used as ornamental plant and it’s fragrant, it can grow in Mediterranean, subtropical, temperate or tropic climates.

Basil is a popular spice plant for herb gardens, used for flavouring in a variety of cuisines. If you are a serious cook, you’ll need to use different types of basil depending on the type of food you are making. For Thai food, you’ll want to consider basil ‘Siam Queen.’ This type of basil has a strong anise flavour and the fragrance of clove.

Grow Notes
Annual growing to 80cm tall, grow in part or full sun in moist well drained soils.

Frequent and consistent watering will result in lush, green growth from plants without the need for frequent fertilization. At harvest time, make certain only to remove about one-fourth of the plant to ensure continued basil harvests throughout the season.

Sow
Spring and Summer planting. Start basil seeds in seed trays at 2mm depth and keep soil moist but not wet till germination. Or plant direct, 40cm apart at 2mm depth.

Germination
5-10 days at 18-35°C

Maturity
70 days to maturity. Annual.