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Perennial Basil

M

MangoChilli

I used to have a perennial basil, I am not sure what type it was but assume it was an interspecific hybrid as it would flower but never set seed.  It was ok but did not really taste like sweet basil.  It grew for a few years and I lost it recently when moving house.  I have been looking for another one but will probably have to mail order it.  I much prefer sweet basil though.
 
This got me thinking, if I got an annual sweet basil and grafted it onto a perennial basil root stock would it grow as a perennial (assuming that I removed its flowers)?  Or would the scion die at the end of the season?
 
 
Just keep cutting the flowers and buds off and your sweet basil should be fine. If your weather is okay you should be able to keep it growing as long as you feed it/dont let it seed.
 
Or just take cuttings and keep your basil going by perpetuity, its very easy to root.
 
Sounds like you had African Blue Basil. Almost all basil species/varieties will grow for years in frost free areas, some with better leaf production than others. If you're looking for a long producer with traditional Mediterranean flavor, try Greek basil or one of the smaller leaved varieties.
 
I have some greek columnar (lesbos) basil that rarely flowers if at all. the taste isnt as good as some varieties. and my wife thinks it smells like cat pee or kind of skunky.
 
but its a cool plant that gets big and addresses the problem of flowering.
 
Want a fun smelling basil?
 
Mini Purple Basil - smells like Zebra Stripe gum, for whoever remembers that!
 
(The plant itself isnt small, mini refers to its leaves.)
 
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