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Red and green holy basil is a cultivar of holy basil that we
have grown in the National Herb Garden for several years. It has
the typical growth habit of holy basil reaching a height of 18
inches by the end of the summer. This cultivar starts out
growing green leaves flecked with purple, but at full maturity,
the leaves become heavily mottled with the rich purple making a
beautiful combination of the two colors. The flower stalks, also
purple, support the delicate light-pink flowers.
The scent of red and green [holy] basil is the same as the
straight species of O. tenuiflorum and can be used the
same way. We use it in many of the ornamental plantings
throughout the Herb Garden. It brightens up borders, edges, and
makes a wonderful accent in containers as it combines nicely
with a lot of different plants.
– James Adams, Curator of the National Herb Garden,
Promising Plants Presentation 2003
Ocimum tenuiflorum 'Red and Green'
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Text and images © 2003 The Herb Society of America
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