Basil

I drew basil for its leaves. They are wide and slightly cupped, a bright or dark green depending on the variety, and the veins catch the light differently from the rest of the surface. Basil is one of the most tactile herbs in a kitchen: the leaves are soft, substantial and slow to tear, and they give up their scent at a touch. In this basil print I put that surface first, leaf by leaf. The plate belongs to the Mediterranean Table collection, beside the herbs and fruit of the southern kitchen.

In shortSweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, is a tender herb of the mint family, native to tropical Asia. Its leaves hold aromatic oils that are released at a touch, and it is central to Italian cooking. The plate shows the broad, cupped leaves with their veins.

Key Facts

Why is basil called the king of herbs?

Basil is called the king of herbs because of its name. Basilicum is the Latin form of a Greek word meaning kingly, and it echoes the Greek basileus, king. The genus name, Ocimum, comes from the Greek word for smell.

The title has been earned in more than one tradition. Ancient Egyptians used basil in embalming. In India, holy basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum, known as tulsi, is a sacred plant associated with Vishnu. In Haiti, basil is associated with the loa Erzulie. Sweet basil was probably first cultivated in India, and it reached its fullest expression in Italy, where it became the defining flavour of summer: pesto, bruschetta, Caprese salad and pizza margherita. Tulsi is a related species, not a variety of sweet basil.

Why does basil smell so strongly when you touch it?

Basil smells strongly because its leaves carry tiny oil glands near the surface, and a touch is enough to release what they hold. Cutting or bruising releases more. Those oils give basil its mix of sweet, peppery, clove-like and faintly minty notes.

The main compounds include linalool, which smells sweet and floral, and eugenol, which smells of clove. Because the oils are volatile, heat drives them off. This is why Italian cooks add basil at the end of cooking, or use it raw, to keep most of the scent. Basil also wilts rapidly once cut, so it is best used soon after picking, or preserved in oil.

Is basil related to mint?

Yes. Basil belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, and shows the family’s traits: square stems, leaves in opposite pairs and glands full of aromatic oil. Run a finger down a basil stem and the four corners are easy to feel. The leaves are oval and slightly cupped, with a pointed tip, and a mature plant stands about 45 to 60 cm tall.

In summer the plant sends up spikes of small white, pink or purple flowers. Once it flowers, it puts less into new leaves, and the leaves taste more bitter. Cooks pinch out the spikes to keep leaf growth going until frost. Pinching the growing tips earlier also makes the plant branch and fill out. Left alone, the flowers feed bees and other pollinators, and they are edible too.

Why does basil need warm weather?

Basil needs warm weather because it is a tropical plant with almost no tolerance of cold. It is very susceptible to frost, it wants temperatures above about 10 °C (50 °F), and it grows best in the heat of summer, from about 27 to 35 °C (the 80s and 90s °F). In the tropics it persists as a perennial. In cooler climates it is grown as an annual and does not return after winter.

Sweet basil comes in many forms. Genovese is a flat-leaved green Italian type. Thai basil is a related basil with an anise scent. Purple varieties such as ‘Dark Opal’ carry deep red-purple foliage, and lemon basil smells of citrus. All are cold-sensitive, and all are at their best in the leaf, before the plant turns its energy to flowers. Basil also wants full sun and steady moisture. It should be watered enough to keep the leaves tender, but not so much that the soil stays waterlogged, since wet soil is what brings root rot and seedling collapse.

Drawing the basil

The plate shows basil in leaf. I drew the leaves wide and slightly cupped, with their veins set to catch the light differently from the surface around them, as they do on a living plant. A basil leaf is substantial, soft and resistant to tearing, and I wanted the drawing to carry that weight rather than the flat look of a diagram.

I held a stem in my hand while I drew it. The leaves are the most handled part of any herb, and the drawing follows the way a hand meets them: the cupped curve, the vein, the pointed tip. A photograph of basil usually shows green shine and little else, because the glossy surface throws the light back. The hand-drawn digital illustration keeps the veins readable and each leaf distinct from the next.

Where does a basil print work on a wall?

Basil suits a kitchen first, particularly one where Italian food is made seriously. Its broad leaves and upright habit also hold their own in a home office or a dining room. A terracotta or warm-toned frame is at home in a Mediterranean kitchen, while a white or pale wood frame makes the plate quieter and more botanical. It belongs to the Workspace Green collection and appears in the Mediterranean kitchen guide. In the photograph below, the basil hangs with the monstera and apple plates on a brick office wall.

Fine-art print →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is basil an annual or a perennial?

Basil is a perennial in the warm tropics where it comes from, but it is very susceptible to frost. In cooler climates it does not return after winter, so it is grown as an annual. It lives its whole cycle in a single warm season.

What is the difference between sweet basil and holy basil?

They are different species. Sweet basil is Ocimum basilicum, the herb of pesto and Caprese salad. Holy basil is Ocimum tenuiflorum, known as tulsi, a sacred plant in India associated with Vishnu. They share a genus and a family, and both are aromatic.

Should I let basil flower?

If you want leaves, pinch the flower spikes out. Once basil flowers it puts less into new growth, and the leaves become more bitter. If you want pollinators, a few plants left to flower will draw bees and other insects, and the flowers are edible.

Is Thai basil the same as sweet basil?

Thai basil is a related basil with an anise scent, close to sweet basil in form but different in flavour. Cooks treat the two as separate herbs. Neither is the sacred holy basil, tulsi, which is another species.

How is this print made, and how does it reach me?

There are two formats. The digital download is a high-resolution file that you print yourself, at home or at a print shop; no physical item is shipped. The fine-art print is printed to order on archival paper or canvas, framed or unframed, in sizes from small prints to over 150 cm (60 inches), and delivered to your door.