// SPECIES PROFILE · CROP · NON-INVASIVE / CULTIVATED

Basil

Ocimum basilicum

Basil thrives in Oklahoma's hot humid summers as in few other US climates — direct-sown after the last frost, ready for first harvest in 6 weeks, and producing continuously from June through October. Genovese, Thai, lemon, and Italian large-leaf basils all flourish in Tulsa heat.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Lamiaceae
Group: crop
Native range: Domesticated in tropical Asia ~5,000 yrs ago
USDA hardiness: Tender annual
Mature size: 1–2 ft
Sun: Full sun
Water: Consistent moisture
Wildlife value: Flowering basil is a major bumblebee + native bee magnet
Ecological role: heat-loving culinary annual · pollinator-friendly when allowed to flower

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) — *Ocimum basilicum*. Photo via Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Pinch flowering tops weekly to keep leaves coming and prevent the plants from going to seed. Allow some plants to flower late in the season — the white spikes are a bumblebee favorite. One frost kills the entire planting.

Why it's on this list: heat-loving culinary annual · pollinator-friendly when allowed to flower. Part of Rooted Revival's NE Oklahoma plant catalog — natives, ecologically positive non-invasive cultivars, and food crops worth growing in the Tulsa region.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen-garden polyculture, basil pairs naturally with: comfrey (Symphytum officinale), chile pepper (Capsicum annuum), common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), collard greens (Brassica oleracea), cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), and cowpea / black-eyed pea (Vigna unguiculata).

In a polyculture bed, basil pairs with the partners above for pest deterrence, pollination, and soil-building.

Basil

Field Notes

Companion Planting

Photo Reference