Ocimum americanum
Origin: Togo
Improvement status: Landrace
Seeds per packet: ~25
Germination tested 12/2024: 67%
Life cycle: Annual
This unassuming little West African basil looks like most any other small-leafed basil, especially other hoary basils and tulsi basils — but just one sniff of its fragrant leaves makes clear that this Togolese basil is something entirely unique and special. It has a distinctly fruity fragrance, falling (to this farmer's nose anyway) somewhere between passion fruit and Juicy Fruit gum! Literally every time I've had someone smell it, either fresh or dried, their eyes immediately widened and they let out some sort of exclamation ("Whoa!", "What?!", and "What the f**k?!" have been the most common reactions). It's truly extraordinary.
Like other hoary basils, this variety is a prolific producer of tiny seeds. The seeds can be used like chia seeds, surrounding themselves with a sticky mucilaginous goo upon submersion in water. In the Middle East, seeds of hoary basil are used in beverages and frozen desserts.
This species (or possibly species complex) also has a long history of medicinal use, including against cough and other respiratory conditions, rheumatism, colic, conjunctivitis, malaria, and headache, and for its analgesic effects. In parts of Africa, a water-based extract has traditionally been used to manage diabetes and liver conditions.
"Hoary" is an archaic English word that means "greyish-white." While the leaves of this basil are distinctly green, they are perhaps somewhat paler and grayer than other basils, which likely gave rise to the name (it is also sometimes called "lime basil," but so are other basils). The common name of this species is odd enough, but the botanical name — Ocimum americanum — is downright stupid. This plant has nothing to do with America. It most likely originated in Africa, and is also considered native in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China. It's worth mentioning, however, that basil taxonomy is still rather confused, so once scientists dig deeper into the family they might find that this species doesn't exist at all, or that this particular variety doesn't fit within it. Nevertheless, it's an amazing plant and we highly recommend you try it!
Our seeds were grown by EFN co-founder Nate Kleinman at the EFN flagship farm outside Elmer, New Jersey. (Special thanks to Kathy Anderson and Rick Carter of Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance for growing a back-up growout at Tayman Field in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and taking better photos than I did! The first two photos here are theirs.)
GROWING TIPS: Start as you would any other basil, surface-sowing seeds on a sterile growing medium a few weeks prior to last frost. Keep warm and well watered. For best seed and leaf production, pinch off flower buds as often as possible, allowing the plant to get bigger and bigger. Once it flowers and begins to set seed, it will largely stop growing altogether.
