Hoary Basil
Ocimum americanum
- Native to:
- Andaman Is., Angola, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bismarck Archipelago, Botswana, Burkina, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caprivi Strip, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, DR Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., India, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Kenya, Lesotho, Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.),,SarKaLay စာကလေး,Descourtilz, J. Theodore.; Descourtilz, M. E.; Pichard.,SarKaLay စာကလေး,Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.),Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.),H. Zell,SarKaLay စာကလေး,H. Zell,Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.),Ashasathees (en.wikipedia.org) at Malayalam Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Genus:
- Ocimum
- Species:
- Ocimum americanum
- USDA Symbol:
- OCCA4
Growth Characteristics
- Height:
- 50 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- white, lavender
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Commonly found in open, disturbed areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light and warm temperatures (20-25°C) for optimal germination. Surface sow and do not cover deeply.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI