Saflax - Red Basil - Ocimum basilicum - 200 seeds - The classic kitchen herb in a different way – decorative and aromatic. Worth knowing: The Red Basil is a large-leaved basil species that develops crimson red, toothed leaves and pink-coloured flowers. The annual plant grows rather fast between 20 to 50 cm tall and is a markedly aromatic herb.. Compared to the common green variety, the Red Basil appears quite decorative and nicely contrasting in salads and for garnishing. It can also give a nice dash of colour and a final touch of the taste to pastas, while it should only added closely to the end of the cooking to retain the full flavour. Natural Place: The Red Basil has its natural habitat in the tropical Africa and in Asia. Today it can be found all over the Mediterranean region. Cultivation: Place: The Red Basil likes to be kept in a sunny or at least half-shaded place. Since the plant is rather sensitive to frost, it should only be moved outdoors from mid May. Care: Don’t keep the Red Basil too moist, and check regularly for slugs during summer, when the pot is kept outdoors. Cut the shoot tips regularly to get a nice bushy and branched plant. Drying the leaves is by the way not a good idea since the aroma will fade off quickly, and with storing them in the freezer you will only get sludgy leaves after defrosting. During Winter: Basil is usually cultivated as an annual plant. However, you may try to hibernate the plant in a bright and draught-free place with a temperature between 15° and 20° Celsius. Bonsai: No Picture credits: Because of technical limitations links are shown as text. 17523-ocimum-basilicum-seed-package-front-german.jpg - © Dinkum - CC0 - creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ 17523-ocimum-basilicum-cultivation-instruction-german.jpg - Frank Laue - © Saflax - saflax.de/copyright 17523-31-Ocimum-basilicum.jpg - Forest & Kim Starr - CC-BY-3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -