- Vegetable Seeds
- Flower Seeds
- Herb Seeds
- Sprouting Seeds
- Gardening Books
- Gardening Supplies
- Gardening Resources
Search for Seeds
Basil
Basil was probably first cultivated in India and then spread to Europe. It belongs to the mint family and both leaves and essential oils are used as flavourings. West Coast Seeds carries so many different Basil seeds because it is such a versatile herb - use for tea, pesto, salads, tomato dishes, Thai / Vietnamese cuisine, herb vinegar and herb butter.
Use also in aromatherapy as a stress reliever, for tension headaches, colds, and stomach upsets. Make an infusion of basil leaves with boiling water and drink as a tea 2 or 3 times a day.
Cinnamon
O. basilicum Cinnamon
This attractive plant with purple stems and flowers with purple bracts really ought to be in the flower garden. Its unique cinnamon taste and aroma makes it wonderful for tea and cooking or for use in decorative arrangements. The distinct flavour comes from the chemical cinnamate, which is also found in true cinnamon. Also known as "Mexican spice basil."
Finissimo Verde a Palla
O. basilicum piccolo
This pretty little bush basil grows into a globe so perfect it seems pruned! Superior flavour and aroma are packed in very petite leaves. Less pungent than larger leaved varieties. Grow carefully, water minimally.
Genovese
Genovese is the very best Italian pesto variety of basil. Shiny, large, almond-shaped leaves have a more pronounced flavour, and store well if chopped and frozen in ice cube trays. Pinch growing tips for bushier plants that grow to 60cm (24”) tall.
Genovese Organic
Certified organic! The pesto basil from Italy. Shiny, large almond-shaped leaves have a more pronounced flavour, making it the very best for pesto.
Kitchen Basil Blend
Grow this beautiful trio for utility in the kitchen. Genovese basil has big smooth green leaves, use in pesto and pasta. Red Rubin brings distinctive colour and pungent flavour to salads and vinegars. Cinnamon basil's leaves are lovely as a garnish and choice for teas. It has smaller leaves than the Genovese and lovely pink flowers. Use the flowers in salads too!
Lettuce Leaf
Lettuce Leaf produces very large, bright, very puckered green leaves with a glorious aroma. Provide excellent nutrition and a light, well-dug soil to get the largest leaves. Use these big leaves in salad mixes or to wrap savory morsels.
Nufar Organic
Certified organic! Nufar is a large-leafed Genovese type basil, with some tolerance of fusarium wilt (a soil fungus that makes the whole plant wilt and die). As with other plants that are said to be fungus tolerant, it is not completely so cultural methods are still needed; be fastidious for best results.
Purple Ruffles
An improved purple leaf basil chosen for its deep ruffles - it really stands out in salads! Its slight clove scent makes a pungent and colourful herbal vinegar. There may be some green plants.
Red Rubin
O. basilicum purpurescens
This is slightly more vigorous and holds its dark colour better than any other purple variety. It has exceptional flavour and is very productive, with tall purple stalks and attractive lavender flowers that look great in the garden. Very few green plants.
Siam Queen
O. basilicum
This is the authentic variety for Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Vigorous, highly ornamental plants with purple stalks and flowers that open to pink, providing a nice contrast to its dark green leaves. Pick young shoots regularly to extend the harvest.
Spicy Globe
O. basilicum minimum
Actually a "mound," this is a pretty, compact plant that looks wonderful as a kitchen garden border. Good in containers also. Grows 20cm (8") across. Its spicy basil flavour complements any tomato dish.
Sweet Basil
This vigorous, happy plant grows big, mid-green leaves all summer long. Keep picking the growing tips and the 2 pairs of leaves below them for the kitchen. More branches sprout more leaves. This large-leaved Italian type is glorious for pesto. Plant several times for a continuous supply until frost. Grow one on a warm and sunny windowsill through the winter!
Sweet Basil Organic
CERTIFIED ORGANIC! This vigorous, happy plant grows big, mid-green leaves all summer long. Keep picking the growing tips and the 2 pairs of leaves below them for the kitchen. More branches sprout more leaves. This large-leaved Italian type is glorious for pesto. Plant several times for a continuous supply until frost. Grow one on a warm and sunny windowsill through the winter!
Sweet Dani Lemon
All-America Selections Winner! Plant produces beautiful and aromatic lemon scented leaves. Excellent culinary variety for drying and freezing. Good for both ornamental and culinary use; adds more flavor in culinary usage, producing up to 75% more total essential oils than standard lemon basil varieties. Provides a long ornamental stage, flowering 15 days longer than traditional lemon basil.