Ocimum gratissimum

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Ocimum gratissimum (clove basil) is a first-rate container herb for a balcony, patio or sunny windowsill rather than a deep-indoor houseplant – it needs strong, direct light to stay compact and full of flavour, which a room’s interior rarely supplies.

Quick Details

• Container Size: 5-12 L (1.5-3 gal)
• Indoor Suitability: Not a deep-indoor houseplant; thrives on a bright, sunny windowsill with direct light
• Best Spot: Full sun to half shade; the sunniest balcony, patio or windowsill you have
• Soil & Drainage: Well-aerated, organic-rich mix (potting mix or peat/coir with perlite or vermiculite); must drain freely
• Watering in Pots: Keep the mix moist (not waterlogged) and let excess drain away; pots dry fast in heat

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Houseplant limits: The grower does not rate it as a deep-indoor houseplant – away from a window the light is too weak and growth turns leggy and less flavourful.
• Windowsill growing: On a bright, sunny sill with direct light it does well – pick a compact plant, turn the pot now and then for even growth, and pinch out the tips.
• Overwintering indoors: Basil is tender, so in cold climates a big reason to pot it is to bring it inside before frost – keep it on a bright sill in the cold season to carry it over or extend the harvest.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & warmth: Give it the sunniest, most sheltered corner. Walls and paving reflect heat, which basil enjoys, but that also dries pots quickly – check moisture daily in hot weather and water more on warm days.
• Wind & practicalities: Shelter it from strong wind, which shreds soft leaves and dries the mix; make sure the pot drains freely and sits where run-off will not stain the floor.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: The grower suggests a 5-12 L (1.5-3 gal) container with strong drainage holes. Skip a standing-water saucer under the pot to avoid root rot; terracotta breathes and dries faster, while glazed or plastic pots hold moisture longer.
• Potting mix: Use a well-aerated, organic-rich mix – potting compost, or peat/coir blended with perlite or vermiculite for drainage.
• Feeding: Potted herbs need feeding more often than those in the ground, as nutrients leach out with each watering – a light, regular feed through the growing season keeps the leaves coming.
• Repotting: Where it is kept as a perennial, the grower advises refreshing all or part of the mix about every two years; pot up if roots fill the container.

Bloom & Edible Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Summer
• Flower Appearance: Small purple flowers carried in slender, spike-like inflorescences
• Edibility: Edible — like other basils, the flowers are edible and carry the same clove-scented, aromatic flavour as the leaves

Detailed Blooming Overview

Clove basil signals its readiness to flower by lifting slim spikes of small purple blooms above the foliage in summer. As with all basils, flowering pulls the plant’s energy toward seed and can make the leaves coarser, so growers usually pinch the spikes out — but the flowers themselves are perfectly edible and aromatic, and they are a favourite of bees and butterflies if you let a few open.

Flower Characteristics

• Small, two-lipped purple flowers.
• Arranged in tiered, spike-like inflorescences.
• Aromatic and edible, echoing the leaf flavour.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Thinning the bloom: pinch out flower spikes as they begin, so the plant’s strength stays in the leaves — unless you want the flowers for the plate or the pollinators.
• Pollination: worked by bees and butterflies where flowers are left to open.
• Using the flowers: pick clean, unsprayed spikes to use like the herb.