Basil Mint

Botanical name: Mentha piperata citrata ‘Basil’

Life cycle: Perennial

Height: 45-60 cm

Position: Full sun / part shade

Soil preference: Moist / well drained

Description

Basil mint is a hardy perennial growing to around 45-60 cm in height. It has an upright growth habit and a spreading nature. The thick, dark green foliage has a reddish-purple tinge and extends from the red toned stems. Basil mint has pale purple flowers over summer and has the scent and flavour of basil, so may be used in recipes that call for either herb.

Uses

Culinary – Basil mint is wonderful for adding to salads and cooked dishes. It does very well when combined with tomato dishes and pasta. Since the flavour is not strong, the leaves should be added at the end of the cooking period. Basil mint can be made into pesto especially useful when basil is out of season. The aromatic leaves are refreshing made into a tea or infusion.

Medicinal – Medicinally, basil mint has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-bacterial and anti-spasmodic properties. The leaves can be steeped to make a tea or infusion and used as a digestive aid, used as a treatment for headaches and fevers, or as a throat gargle.  

Companion planting – Basil mint is a useful companion plant for capsicum and tomatoes, disguising their scent from insects and also improving the flavour of these vegetables by being grown nearby.

Growing conditions

Basil mint is easy to grow, very disease resistant and heavy yielding. It is a viable choice for people who find basil hard to grow. It prefers part shade to full sun, most soils and has moderate water requirements. As the plant ages the stems may become woody. These may be removed with pruning, encouraging new growth. This is a very strong growing variety of mint, so container growing is recommended to reduce the opportunity for it to spread too far.

9cm pot.

Organically grown plant.