All About Basil (Ocimum basilicum) History, Meaning, Facts, Care & More

This flower is also called Sweet basil, great basil, and Thai basil. It is known with different names across the globe. It is a small weed plant. It has green leaves and purple or white bloom. Its bloom is smaller as the size of the plant is also small. But the flower looks great on the stem.  People also grow it in their offices to improve the look of their office or office desk. It is a small plant, can be planted in a bottle or anything with some dirt/soil in it. This plant originates from tropical regions of southern Africa and Southeast Asia, in countries like Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, India, and others in the tropical region. But it can easily be grown anywhere in the world. As it is a tropical plant, so it may need more water than other of your plants. If you can take care of a bit for your garden in your office, then this will be a great addition to the Weekly floral arrangement of your office.

People now grow it all around the globe for beautification or decoration purposes. Moreover, its weed is considered an effective treatment for various diseases and infections. The paste of this plant is used to heal the open wounds. This plant and its flowers are not only beautiful but also useful.

 

Facts about Basil (Ocimum basilicum):

This is a weed-like plant, size is from 1 to 2 feet at max. It is of green color plant, with white or purple color bloom. They are a part of the mint family, so their aroma is a very pleasant one. This flower was found buried with the mummies of Egyptian kings in their pyramids. It is a part of cuisines across the globe, especially used in Asian and Italian cuisines. Due to its pleasant aroma, it is widely used in floral arrangements for offices

 

History of Basil (Ocimum basilicum):

This flower is originally from Africa and Asia. This is found worldwide now. Grown for different purposes. This is among the most ancient species of the plants, herbs. As it is found to be used in Egypt and Greece dating back to almost 3000 years BC. No one knows originally where it came from. But it was used in the mummification process in Egypt. In Greece, it was known as the kingly herb or symbol of mourning. It has a long history of being used as a medicine and as a food. Its leaves are used for various purposes.

When It came to Europe with some botanists, they also introduced it to the US, in the 1700s. This became a widely used plant in the offices in the 1900s in the US, for office decoration and it was used in Italian cuisine in the US and Indian restaurants in the different states of the US. This flower is a great choice to be used in weekly floral arrangements for the offices.

 

Characteristic of Basil (Ocimum basilicum):

This plant is smaller in size, its leaves are green, and the flowers are white or purple sometimes. This plant has a smaller stem that cannot help it stand, so most of the time they lay on the ground and spread there. Its leaves are shiny and smooth in texture. Its flower come in the shape of clusters or bunch of the flower during the time of the bloom. Exactly their size for single plant can range between 10 to 18 inches long. They grow very fast. They are from tropical regions, so they need more water than other plants.

 

Use of Basil (Ocimum basilicum):

They are still used as, medicine and an herb. Used to heal open wounds. You can create its paste and apply it directly on the open wounds. Many international herbal research organizations recommend using it for medicinal purposes. It is a part of a lot of herbal medicines for stomach relief. Also, they were used in the decorations. Egyptians used it to mummify their dead bodies of the dead kings. Also, they were used to wore on special occasions. In Greece, they were used for several purposes including the decorations.

It is used in Italian and Asian cuisines since along. In Asia, no food is complete without it. People mix their paste with yogurt and used with different food items especially the Biryani etc.

They are also used in the decorations of homes and offices; they are used as a plant for the office. Due to their smaller size, people place them on their desks to make them attractive. They are also used as part of the weekly floral arrangement of the office.

 

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Flower Meaning:

This flower was considered as a symbol of mourning in the Greece, at the same time it was said to be the kingly flower. This was used to decorate the crowns of kings and queens of Greece. This is a white colored flower, so it means peace also. White and purple in shades color is for beautification symbol. In offices or in decorations these white and purple flowers contrast can give your office decoration a boost.

 

How to Care for Basil (Ocimum basilicum):

This plant can easily be grown from the seed. But some of the species can be grown using the green part of the stem, you can use its stem as a bud. Place it in the soil where you want it to grow and it will grow in no time. It does not require a lot of care but as it is a tropical plant it needs more water than other plants of a similar size. So, you will have to take care of all its watering needs.

• Make a schedule for watering is based on the 4 to 5 days gap. Give water in a way that it can only reach the one-inch surface above the ground. Then stop watering. You can give it water at any time. But the best time will be the early morning time.
• Before plantation, you may have to take care of the soi. Make it comfortable for plantation of a plant that can be easily attacked by many of the pests. You can use mulch. You may have to use some fertilizer before planting the plants. Because they will help it grow faster.
• You can choose any fertilizer according to the soil needs. But I will say that you can grow it without any fertilizers.
• You may need to support it from the above, as its stem is the week and it cannot grow upwards. In a bid to grow it upward you need to provide it support using some cage or anything of that sort.
• If your soil is rich in terms of nutrients you should not use any fertilizers it will grow on its own.