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Ocimum americanum
Lamiaceae FAMILY

Ocimum americanum

Ocimum americanum

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

A plant of the moist, lowland tropics, where it is usually found at elevations up to 500 metres, but occasionally to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 30°c, but can tolerate 10 - 35°c[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 500 - 3,000mm[1]. Prefers a rich, light, well-drained to dry soil and a position in full sun[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5 - 8[1]. The plant can become a bad weed on farms in western Africa[3]. The plant can commence flowering when 8 - 12 weeks old, seeds mature after 14 - 20 weeks. Harvest may start 2 - 3 months after sowing[1]. An average yield is 2 - 3 tonnes per hectare of dried leaves annually, giving 25 - 40 kilos of solid camphor. However, higher yields are possible through manuring[1]. Hairy basil contains a number of different essential oils, each with their own distinctive taste and aroma[2]. Three main forms, or chemo-types, of the plant are known - one has a floral-lemony aroma, one is camphoraceous and the other spicy[2].

Propagation

Seed - an be sown in situ. It usually germinates within 7 - 14 days[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ocimum+americanum>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  2. [2]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  3. [3]Traditional Vegetables in Benin — Achigan-Dako E. Et al · Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science · 2009 ↩︎Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin.
  4. [4]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  5. [5]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  6. [6]Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle — Leffers A. · Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia. · 2003 · ISBN 99916-0-491-X ↩︎Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.