Purple Dark Opal Basil Seeds - (Ocimum basilicum)

Purple Dark Opal Basil

A unique sweet basil cultivar, developed at the University of Connecticut in the 1950s and a 1962 AAS award winner having regal, purple-black glossy foliage and pale pink flowers with a delicious light anise or licorice aroma. It has the flavor profile to back up it gorgeous looks!

The beautiful deep purple leaves have an almost metallic green underside and get darker as the plant matures, making this a striking ornamental and culinary plant in gardens, pots or along borders. A steady grower, it produces small to medium sized leaves and grows 12 - 18" tall and is slow to bolt.

Uses

Very attractive, it can be used fresh or dried and frozen for later use. An excellent addition to salads and stir-frys, it makes a standout micro-green or sprout for salads and sandwiches. Will turn basil vinegar a beautiful shade of mauve.

Companion Planting

Basil does well with asparagus and helps tomatoes overcome pest insects and disease while improving growth and flavor of both. It is best to grow the shorter basil plants alongside or parallel to the tomato plants instead of among them in their shade.

Peppers – both sweet and hot – like basil alongside them, as does beans, beets, cabbage, and eggplant. Herbs that like basil nearby are oregano and chamomile.

Basil repels mosquitoes and most flies, so keep a couple of planted pots near doorways and entrances.

Common rue and sage are antagonistic to basil, so don’t plant them near each other.

Growing Tip

When basil starts to flower, it will stop growing leaves – so pinch the flower heads off to encourage new leaf growth.

Learn More

• All About Basil
• Heirloom Basil - So Much More Than Pesto
• Easy Homemade Basil Pesto
• Fresh Heirloom Basil Recipes

From the soil to the seed to the food you eat - we'll help you grow your best garden!