With an incredible amount of variation, (over 150 different types of basil and counting!) from “Holy Basil” to “African Blue Basil” to “Thai Basil”, this strong, fragrant, and often sweet-tasting member of the mint family has held some surprisingly important roles in history. In fact its name is rife with meaning, as Basil comes from the Greek word Basileus, meaning “king”.

Basil also carried diverse cultural and symbolic meaning through history. For instance, in Jewish folklore basil is believed to add strength while fasting. In Portugal, basil plants make up part of a gift to a sweetheart or lover on certain religious holidays. Whereas in ancient Greece, basil symbolized hatred. These are but a few examples of the lasting cultural importance of the herb.

Basil requires well-drained, fertile soils with a high organic matter content. Moisture is very important in the growing of Basil. Growing basil with drip irrigation and black plastic mulch will ensure yields of high quality, and clean leaves. Organic mulches are used. These are very important in the farming of our Basil as they are grown and harvested in northern Africa.