Plant record
Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Basil is summer perfume. Do not make it shiver just because you are impatient.
Garden timing
Start 3 to 6 weeks before last frost.
Direct sow once soil is warm.
Transplant only once nights are gentle.
Succession rhythm: about every 21 days.
Plant intelligence
Good for compact blocks and repeat plantings.
foodbeneficial insectcontainer
Lifecycle: annual
Habit: bushy herb
Germination: 5-10 days
Sow depth: 0.25 inches
Record score
91/100deep plant record
Taxonomy confidence94Ocimum basilicum in Lamiaceae; 2 cached source references.
Square-foot usefulness944 per square with none support.
Timing and care depth1003 planting windows, 60F minimum soil, 2 cautions.
Species and variety drill-down882 variety or cultivar options attached.
Annual flower intelligence80Food crop with companion context.
Source readiness82Ready for 4 external lookup paths.
Species identity
This record is anchored to a stable botanical name, then adjusted for square-foot garden decisions.
ScientificOcimum basilicumFamilyLamiaceaeLookup namesBasil, Ocimum basilicum, sweet basil, Genovese basil
Garden decision matrix
Square-foot fit4 per square
Season behaviorheat-loving
Care loadmoderate water
Bed ecosystem rolefood, beneficial insect
Variety depth2 options
Species and variety notes
Use Genovese for pesto, Thai basil for heat and aroma, and compact types near bed edges.
Genovesecultivar
58small-bed fit
The main kitchen basil for a warm square-foot bed.
Best use: general garden use. Tradeoff: wait for real warmth before judging performance.
classic pesto, large leaves, aromatic60-75 daysThaigroup
58small-bed fit
A useful second basil when summer gets heavy.
Best use: general garden use. Tradeoff: wait for real warmth before judging performance.
licorice aroma, heat tolerant, purple stems60-80 daysCompanions
tomato, pepper, marigold
Cautions
Hates frost.
Pinch early for bushier plants.
External enrichment
Cached name: Ocimum basilicum. Optional lookups can compare GBIF, iNaturalist, Perenual, and Trefle without changing the reviewed garden record.
Open enrichment JSONData layers
FVF reviewed cachecachedSpacing, timing, variety, companion, and FVF notes used by the planner.
GBIF and iNaturalistlive no-keyNo-key taxonomy, common-name, and community context checks through the enrichment route.
USDA PLANTS downloadsreferencePeriodic identity, distribution, native status, and conservation reference layer.
Perenual or Trefleoptional keyOptional species images, care data, cultivar/synonym cleanup, then cache only reviewed fields.
API source score
Perenual API88/100optional key: Flower and ornamental drill-down, plant photos, care flags, toxicity, bloom data. Limit: Requires an API key and plan-aware caching, so it should enrich records without blocking the app.
Trefle API84/100optional key: Scientific names, subspecies, varieties, hybrids, synonyms, and broader botanical cleanup. Limit: Requires a token and should be treated as a reviewed import layer, not a live page dependency.
USDA PLANTS downloads82/100download cache: Standard names, plant symbols, distribution, native status, and conservation flags. Limit: Best consumed as periodic downloaded data instead of one-off runtime requests.
GBIF Species API78/100live public: Accepted scientific names, synonyms, family/genus cleanup, and occurrence context. Limit: Not a gardening advice source; pair it with local square-foot growing data.
iNaturalist taxa API72/100live public: Common-name discovery, taxon IDs, and regional biodiversity context. Limit: Observation data is not the same thing as garden suitability or crop timing.
Cornell Vegetable Growing Guides
Crop-specific vegetable growing guidance.
Source referenceUniversity of Minnesota Extension
Upper Midwest vegetable guidance, cold-climate timing, and succession ideas.
Source reference