Herbs: Is Sweet Basil and annual or perennial?, 0 by kmom246

kmom246 wrote:
Grows easily from seed - I have a mostly brown thumb, so if I can get it to grow from seed, anyone can! Also, they take an amazing amount of abuse. They are definitely annuals in zone 6b. If you let a plant flower and go to seed, it won't taste very good, but may very well reseed your whole garden bed for you - thinnings are very good nibbling. Here's a photo of my sacrificial "lettuce leaf" basil. It is still blooming a little, but mostly the flowers are gone. The stalks will dry and turn brown and then there will be seeds inside the little bumps. Supposed to have leaves as big as your hand, but mine were only about 4 inches long. Probably water stress. Hard to keep things moist around here. Even things that like it dry appreciate a drink out in the desert.