List of basil cultivars

Basil cultivars are cultivated varieties of basil. They are used in a variety of ways: as culinary herbs, landscape plants, healing herbs, teas, and worship implements. All true basils are species of the genus Ocimum. The genus is particularly diverse, and includes annuals, non-woody perennials and shrubs native to Africa and other tropical and subtropical regions.{{cite web |access-date=2006-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208235816/http://www.herbsociety.org/basil/bdesc.php |archive-date=2006-12-08 |url-status=dead | book-title=Basil: the genus Ocimum

Basil cultivars vary in several ways. Visually, the size and shape of the leaves varies greatly, from the large lettuce-like leaves of the Mammoth basil and Lettuce leaf basil to the tiny leaves of the Dwarf bush basil. More practically, the fragrance of the basil varies due to the varying types and quantities of essential oils contained in the plants. The most important are 1,8 cineol, linalool, citral, methyl chavicol (estragole), eugenol and methyl cinnamate, although hardly any basil contains all of these in any significant amount.

Basil cultivars

Ocimum basilicum cultivars	Common name	Species and cultivars	Description	Ocimum americanum (formerly known as O. canum) cultivars	Common name	Species and cultivars	Description	Ocimum ×citriodorum cultivars	Common name	Species and cultivars	Description	Other species and hybrids	Common name	Species and cultivars	Description
Sweet basil, Genovese basil, great basil	O. basilicum	With a strong clove scent when fresh.
Lettuce leaf basil	O. basilicum 'Lettuce Leaf'	Has leaves so large they are sometimes used in salads.{{cite web	url=http://www.tucsongardener.com/Year98/SeptOct98/observat.htm	title=Lettuce Leaf Basil	publisher=The Tucson Gardener	work=Observations	access-date=2006-12-31	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100108044352/http://www.tucsongardener.com/Year98/SeptOct98/observat.htm	archive-date = 2010-01-08
Mammoth basil	O. basilicum 'Mammoth'	Another large-leaf variety, stronger flavor than sweet Genovese.
Genovese basil	O. basilicum 'Genovese Gigante'	Almost as popular as sweet basil, with similar flavor.{{cite journal	last1 = Miele	first1 = Mariangela	title = Methyleugenol in Ocimum basilicum L. Cv. 'Genovese Gigante'	journal = Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry	volume = 49	issue = 1	pages = 517–521	year = 2001	doi = 10.1021/jf000865w	pmid = 11170620	last2 = Dondero	first2 = R	last3 = Ciarallo
Nufar basil	O. basilicum 'Nufar F1'	Variety of Genovese resistant to fusarium wilt.
Spicy globe basil	O. basilicum 'Spicy Globe'	Grows in a bush form, very small leaves, strong flavor.{{cite web	url = http://home.ivillage.com/gardening/picks/article/0,,7138pbm0_2r36,00.html	title = Spicy Globe Basil	publisher = iVillage	access-date = 2006-12-31	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070519095531/http://home.ivillage.com/gardening/picks/article/0,,7138pbm0_2r36,00.html	archive-date = 2007-05-19
Greek Yevani basil	O. basilicum 'Greek Yevani'	Organically grown version of Spicy globe basil.
Fino verde basil	O. basilicum piccolo	Small, narrow leaves, sweeter, less pungent smell than larger leaved varieties.{{cite web	url=http://www.garden.org/foodguide/browse/herb/annual/296	title=Bountiful Basil	author=Deborah Wechsler	access-date=2006-12-31	publisher=National Gardening Association
Boxwood basil	O. basilicum 'Boxwood'	Grows tightly like boxwood, very small leaves, strong flavor, great for pestos.
Purple ruffles basil	O. basilicum 'Purple Ruffles'	Solid purple, rich and spicy and a little more anise-like than the flavor of Genovese Basil.
Magical Michael	O. basilicum 'Magical Michael'	Award-winning hybrid with an uncommon degree of uniformity, and nice flavor for culinary use.{{cite web	url = http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Whats/Amerslct/michael.htm	title = Basil "Magical Michael"	publisher = Colorado State University Denver County Cooperative Extension	work = All-American Selections	access-date = 2006-12-31	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060912055553/http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Whats/Amerslct/michael.htm	archive-date = 2006-09-12
Dark opal basil	O. basilicum 'Purpurascens'	Award-winning variety, developed at the University of Connecticut in the 1950s.{{cite web	url=http://www.galaxygardens.com/herbs.htm	title=Herbs	publisher=Galaxy Gardens	access-date=2007-01-05	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061124232809/http://www.galaxygardens.com/herbs.htm	archive-date=2006-11-24	url-status=dead
Red rubin basil	O. basilicum 'Purpurascens' 'Red Rubin'	url=http://www.tastefulgarden.com/basilsweet.htm	title=Basil growing: sweet basil	publisher=The Tasteful Garden	access-date=2006-12-31	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716193141/http://www.tastefulgarden.com/basilsweet.htm	archive-date=July 16, 2011 }}
Osmin purple basil	O. basilicum 'Osmin Purple'	Dark shiny purple with a jagged edge on the leaves, smaller leaves than red rubin.{{cite web	url = http://www.petesherbs.com/basil.htm	work = Pete's Herbs	title = Basil	access-date = 2006-12-31	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070121053005/http://www.petesherbs.com/basil.htm	archive-date = 2007-01-21
Cuban basil	O. basilicum	Similar to sweet basil, with smaller leaves and stronger flavor, grown from cuttings.{{cite journal	last1=Pino	first1=J	last2=Rosado	first2=A	last3=Goire	first3=I	last4=Roncal	first4=E	last5=Garcia	first5=I	title=Analysis of the essential oil from cuban basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)	journal=Nahrung	volume = 37
Thai basil	O. basilicum var. thyrsiflorum	Called Ho-ra-pa (โหระพา) in Thai, gets its scent of licorice from estragole.
'Siam Queen'	O. basilicum var. thyrsiflorum 'Siam Queen'{{cite web	url = http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/basilicious.html	title = Basil-icious!	publisher = United States National Herb Garden	access-date = 2006-12-30	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070323182131/http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/basilicious.html	archive-date = 2007-03-23
Cinnamon basil	O. basilicum 'Cinnamon'	Also called Mexican spice basil, with a strong scent of cinnamate, the same chemical as in cinnamon. Has purple flowers.
Licorice basil	O. basilicum 'Licorice'	Also known as Anise basil or Persian basil, silvery leaves, spicy licorice smell comes from the same chemical as in anise, anethole. Thai basil is also sometimes called Licorice basil.{{cite web	title = Ocimum basilicum (Anise basil)	url = http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pd_1610.html	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070225024308/http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pd_1610.html	url-status = dead	archive-date = 2007-02-25	publisher = Backyard Gardener	access-date = 2006-12-31
White basil	O. basilicum var. pilosum	White and hairy branches/leaves and white flowers. Aromatic lemon scent. Called é in Vietnamese.
Mrs. Burns' Lemon	O. basilicum var. citriodora 'Mrs. Burns' Lemon'	Clean, aromatic lemon scent, similar to lemon basil.
Lemon basil	O. americanum	Contains citral and limonene, therefore actually does smell very lemony, tastes sweeter. Originally, and sometimes still, called "hoary basil". Popular in Indonesia, where it is known as 'kemangi'. Also sometimes 'Indonesian basil'.
Lime basil	O. americanum	Similar to lemon basil.
Greek column basil	O. × citriodorum 'Lesbos'	Columnar basil, can only be propagated from cuttings.{{cite web	url = http://www.herbsociety.org/factsheets/basil.pdf	title = Basil	work = An Herb Society of America Fact Sheet	publisher = Herb Society of America	year = 2003	access-date = 2006-12-31	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061228210355/http://www.herbsociety.org/factsheets/basil.pdf	archive-date = 2006-12-28
Thai lemon basil	O. × citriodorum	Called mangluk (แมงลัก) in Thai. It has a citrus odor, with a distinct Lemon-balm-like flavor{{cite web	url=http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Ocim_bas.html	title=Basil	work=Spice Pages	author=Gernot Katzer	access-date=2012-12-03
Holy basil	O. sanctum
(alt. O. tenuiflorum)	Also sacred basil, Tulsi (तुलसी) in Hindi, a perennial breed from India, used in Ayurveda, for worship, and in Thai cooking. Called kaphrao (กะเพรา) in Thai.
Clove Basil	O. gratissimum
Greek basil (Greek spicy globe Basil)	O. minimum
(alt. O. basilicum var. minimum)	Forms a nearly perfectly round globe, with thin, tiny leaves and a delicious scent. Despite its name, the variety probably originated in Chile.{{cite web	url=http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item.php?id=1376A	title=Basil, Greek or Bush Basil	publisher=Chiltern Seeds	access-date=2006-12-31
Dwarf bush basil	O. minimum	Unusually small bush variety, similar to Greek bush basil.{{cite web	url=http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/herbs/jan90pr5.html	title=Basils for the Home Garden	author=Diane Relf	date=August 1997	access-date=2006-12-31	publisher=Virginia Cooperative Extension	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205214924/http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/herbs/jan90pr5.html	archive-date=2006-12-05	url-status=dead
African blue basil	O. kilimandscharicum × basilicum	A sterile perennial hybrid, with purple coloration on its leaves and containing a strong portion of actual camphor in its scent.
Spice basil	O. basilicum × americanum	A fruity/musky-scented cultivar sometimes sold as Holy Basil
Sweet Dani basil	O. basilicum × americanum	A vigorous, large-leaved green basil with a strong, fresh lemon scent,{{cite web	url=http://www.herbcompanion.com/Herb-Profiles/SWEET-DANI.aspx	title=Sweet Dani Basil	publisher=Herb Companion	author=Thomas DeBaggio	date=April–May 1998	access-date=2011-06-19	url = http://www.all-americaselections.org/AAS_Winners.asp?Sort1=Year_Won&Sort2=DESC	title = AAS Winners 1933 to Present	publisher = All-American Selections	access-date = 2011-06-19	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100204220637/http://www.all-americaselections.org/AAS_Winners.asp?Sort1=Year_Won&Sort2=DESC	archive-date = 2010-02-04
Camphor basil	O. kilimandscharicum