Practical
Plants

Clinopodium vulgare

Wild Basil

a perennial member of the Clinopodium genus in the family Labiatae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.45 m
Spread
0.45 m
Fertility
Bees, Lepidoptera, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Lepidoptera, Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Edible leaves - used fresh or dried as a flavouring in cooked foods[11][13][2][6] or fresh as a flavouring in salads[5]. A sweet and aromatic herb tea is made from the fresh leaves[6].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Tea
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is aromatic, astringent, cardiotonic, carminative, diaphoretic and expectorant[9][3]. An infusion of the plant helps to overcome weak digestion[8].

Product or use
Aromatic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Cardiotonic
Product or use
Carminative
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Expectorant

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A yellow and a brown dye are obtained from the leaves[10][12].

Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
Most of Europe, including Britain, south and west to N. Africa, Siberia, central and western Asia.
Habitat
Heaths and dry grassy places, usually on calcareous soils[11][4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks at 21°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse. Plant them out in the summer if they have made sufficient growth, otherwise plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Division in spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring. Cuttings of soft wood in May or June.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in almost any well-drained soil[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2

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  3. Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00

    ↩

  4. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

  8. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩

  9. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

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  10. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  11. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩1↩2

  12. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  13. Ceres. Free for All. Thorsons Publishers 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-7225-0445-4

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