Basil ‘Green Pepper’

Ocimum selloi

Characteristics

Culture

Basil ‘Green Pepper’ is a relatively recent addition to the long list of basils that love the Texas Gulf Coast’s subtropical climate. It rates as a winner among herb gardeners. It is unique in several ways.  Most beautiful when grown in a shady garden, it self-seeds throughout the growing season, and it is a root-hardy perennial to Zone 9. It usually goes dormant during the cold season. In protected areas, it can maintain some leaves even during the winter. It begins blooming and producing seed when relatively small. Volunteers can be controlled by removing the blooms, though they attract pollinators to the garden. While it’s one of the more cold-hardy basils, this tender perennial herb prefers shade and some sun, loamy soil and regular watering. If grown in full sun, the leaves will be tough and inedible.  Unlike most other commonly encountered basils, flowering does not adversely affect the leaf production much.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Rare and unusual!!! This basil tastes like green bell peppers. It grows as a sturdy and cold-hardy bush up to 2′ tall, and blooms frequently.  Dries, freezes, and cooks up well. Super unique and fun addition to your herb bed!  Repels mosquitoes, anti-inflammatory, and aids digestion.  Bell Pepper Basil has been found to have a very complex chemistry, which combines (as do many herbs) numerous flavors and scents — in this case, the flavors of sweet basil with those of green peppers.  ‘Bell Pepper’ Basil was discovered in Chiapas, Mexico, in the l990’s.  A remarkable old herb with centuries of use in various cultures. Ocimum selloi is becoming increasingly popular now in the United States, with a distinctive flavor that is just as its name implies–a combination of green pepper and basil. Its deep-green leaves are considerably longer than those of other basils, making it more closely resemble a pepper plant. This unusual plant has a milder, more complex flavor than most of its cousins.

Problems

Relatively pest- and disease-resistant.

Garden Uses

Shady herb garden. Container.