A New Herb for my Medicinal Garden ... Tulsi Basil

I first came across Tulsi when staying in a community in tropical Ecuador a few years ago. The caretaker of the land had planted Tulsi around the entrances to each and ever building with the hopes of creating a sacred space for himself and the guests. He also brewed basil tea to add to the kombucha fermenting in large glass containers. The drink was delicious, calming, and enlightening all at once.

Fast forward a few years to present day in my herbal garden I have been growing the same herbs for a few years now. So, this last growing season I challenged myself with 5 new seed packets of herbs I have never successfully grown before. Out of those packets only one really thrived and that is Tulsi Basil!

Tulsi ~ Ocimum tenuiflorum ~ Holy Basil ~ Sacred Basil

This herb is native to the country of India where it has long been associated with the god known as Vishnu (though he has other names too). I really don't know much about Hindu Mythology but, I have picked up a tale or two along the way and know that Vishnu is one of the main gods, one of the main divinity alongside Brahma and Shiva.

So, yeah, Tulsi is a spiritual herb as well as an herb that has many benefits for the physical body.

Even though this herb is in the basil family, herbalists tend to use it more as a tea or juice rather than a pesto alongside culinary basil varieties. When I tried this herb years ago it tasted more like a mint than a basil and reminded me a bit of licorice, anis, or lemon grass.

The aromatic properties of Tulsi mean that careful harvesting and drying is important. Exposure to too much sun will cause the aroma to wither away. That is actually why some people prefer to tincture or freeze this herb rather than dry for tea.

The Herbal Medicine of Tulsi

All above ground parts of the plant can be used in medicine making. The leaves are a tasty addition to teas and are helpful for calming the body. Tulsi actually fits into that prized herbal title of "adaptogen" or herbs that help humans adapt to the stresses of everyday life.

I just harvested a few stalks with mature leaves with the hopes that there will be a second harvest during fall.

As you can see I only have a few small plants, all of which fit snugly into one large ceramic pot. Now that the end of summer is so quickly approaching here in the Southern Temperate zone of Earth, I want to soak up every last bit of the season. So I moved this pot of tulsi onto the front yard patio where I can enjoy the next round of leaves and, later on in fall, the lovely tulsi flowers.