Description
Lemon basil is a fragrant warm-season herb with bright green leaves and a fresh citrus scent. Its lemony flavor adds a lively twist to salads, dressings, seafood, and herbal teas, and the plant is attractive enough for a patio pot or mixed herb garden.
Growing Lemon Basil in Alabama
Plant after spring nights have warmed and frost danger has passed. Give lemon basil full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Keep containers watered during hot Alabama weather, but do not leave roots sitting in water. Pinch growing tips regularly to encourage branching and a steady supply of tender leaves. Remove flower spikes if leaf production is the goal, and harvest often through the warm season. Basil is frost-tender, so bring pots indoors or harvest before the first fall freeze.
Size: Usually 1–2 feet tall and wide. Use: Fresh culinary herb, patio containers, and kitchen gardens.
