Yes, Lime Basil is as fresh and uplifting as it sounds. The bright green leaves are infused with a zesty lime fragrance and tangy flavor that’s best used fresh in coconut-heavy Asian dishes, seafood dishes, fruit salads, limeade, cocktails, and salad dressings. Add at the end of cooking to preserve the citrus flavor, then garnish with the edible flowers.

Harvest the leaves and stems from the top part of the plant, and pinch off edible flower buds as they appear, which prevents the leaves from turning bitter, and signals the plant to branch out and grow more leaves, making a bushier plant.

The more you harvest, the more it grows!

• Fresh, zesty lime-anise flavor
• Culinary and medicinal
• Good for indoor gardens
• Good for containers
• Tons of medicinal benefits!

As a medicinal herb, Basil has been used internally to treat anxiety, colds, colic, cough, depression, diarrhea, fever, flatulence, flu, indigestion, insomnia, intestinal parasites and worms, exhaustion, gastric pain, gonorrhea, lactation problems, migraine headache, nausea, stomach cramps, sore throat, and vomiting, and externally to treat acne, insect bites and stings, loss of smell, skin problems, snake bites.

⚠️ Do not use medicinally while pregnant.

⚠️ Medicinal properties are presented as information only, and are not a recommendation or prescription for use. Consult a medical professional before using any herb medicinally.

SEED PLANTING TIPS

• Botanical name: Ocimum americanum
• Life cycle: Herbaceous annual
• Hardiness zones: 8-10
• Planting season: Spring, summer
• Days to maturity: 60-80 days; can begin harvesting when 6" tall
• Depth to plant seeds: 1/4" deep
• Days to germinate (sprout): 5-10 days
• Germination soil temps: 70F-75F
• Spacing between plants: 12"-18" apart
• Spacing between rows: 18"-24" apart
• # of plants per sq. ft.: Appx. 1 plant per 2 sq. ft.
• Soil types: Sandy, loamy, silty, rich, moist, well-drained
• Soil pH: 6.0-7.5
• Sun needs: Full sun
• Water needs: High - keep soil moist
• Cold stratify: No
• Frost tolerant: No
• Heat tolerant: Yes
• Drought tolerant: No
• Deer resistant: Yes
• Culinary use: Yes
• Medicinal use: Yes

Good companion plants: Anise, Asparagus, Beet, Borage, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chamomile, Chives, Collards, Cilantro/Coriander, Dill, Eggplant, Fenugreek, Garlic, Jicama, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Leek, Lettuce, Marigold, Mint, Mustard, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Parsnip, Pepper, Potato, Purslane, Radish, Rutabaga, Salad Burnet, Shiso, Tomato, Turnip, Yarrow

As a companion plant, it attracts hummingbirds, pollinators, and beneficial insects, and repels asparagus beetles, cabbage moths, cabbage white butterfly, cabbage worms, carrot rust fly, flies, maggots, mice, mosquitoes, spider mites, thrips, and tomato hornworms. 

The Lime Basil plant is very easy to grow and smells extremely fragrant!  It has an amazing lemon scent, perfect for homemade lemonade!  Use this in all your favorite culinary creations!  It grows to the perfect size for planting in containers, and the aroma of just passing by this herb, will take your senses on an enjoyable ride. 

Quick Tip Planting Guide:

What is Lime Basil?

Lime Basil offers a crisp citrus flavor, with a zesty undertones.   It grows as an annual herb with white or lavender flowers.  It has many medicinal purposes which makes it an "all around great herb" to grow in your own gardens. 

 

Health Benefits of Lime Basil

From treating some cancers, symptoms of stress, asthma and diabetes, Lime Basil is recognized widely as a medicinal herb.  

 

Ways to Consume Lime Basil

Used commonly in fresh cooked recipes, always add it at the last moment so that the cooking doesn't destroy the citrus flavor.   It is a favorite ingredient in pesto, and used to thicken soups.  Try it with fried chicken, or steeping it in milk to create lovely ice creams or chocolates.   Don't toss the flower buds, they are full of flavor and are edible as well. 

 

See Basil Recipes & Growing Tips on our Pinterest Board