- Variety Info
- Sowing Info
- Growing Info
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Variety Info
Family: Laminaceae
Type: Basil (Learn more)
Native: Probably Africa, but in cultivation for so long that it cannot be verified.
Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Plant Dimensions: 24"–36" tall, 8"–12" wide
Variety Info: Deep green, glossy leaves on a columnar plant, well-branching with short internodes.
Attributes: Frost Sensitive, Good for Containers
Sowing Info
When to Sow Outside: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 60°F, ideally 65°–85°F. Successive Sowings: We recommend 3 or 4 successive sowings every 3 weeks after initial sowing.
When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting outside. Transplant when your nighttime temperatures are above 50°F.
Days to Emerge: 5 – 10 Days
Seed Depth: ¼"
Seed Spacing: A group of 2 seeds every 12"
Row Spacing: 12"
Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 1 every 12"
Your hardiness zone is
Growing Info
Harvesting: Basil flavor is best before the plant flowers. Harvest up to 1/3 of the plant at a time, leaving enough for the plant to be healthy and keep producing. Harvest prior to a freeze; basil is very frost sensitive.
- Joyce Z.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars12/4/25Basil for a winter's day pasta sauce
Started six plants for indoor growing, some to keep and some to gift. All geminated on the first pass and continue to thrive. Nice compact profile for indoor growing and strategic pruning for culinary use. Bravo to Botanical Interests/Epic Gardening - from a decades-long Botanical Interests customer!
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests12/7/25Hey Joyce,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with our Everleaf Emerald Towers Basil Seeds! We're absolutely thrilled to hear that all six plants germinated perfectly on the first try and are continuing to thrive indoors - that's fantastic! We love that you're finding the compact profile perfect for indoor growing and strategic culinary pruning. There's nothing quite like fresh basil for winter pasta sauces! It's so wonderful that you're sharing some plants as gifts too - what a thoughtful way to spread the joy of fresh herbs! As a decades-long Botanical Interests customer, your feedback means the world to us. Thank you for your continued trust and for sharing your growing success with us. Keep on growing 🌻️
- KRISTINA S.Verified BuyerRated 1 out of 5 stars10/19/25Did not sprout
Did not sprout
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests10/28/25Hey KRISTINA,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in a review. I've reached out to you via email to offer assistance. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to ensuring your experience is positive. Thank you once again for your input. Keep on growing 🌻️
- JKDE, United StatesVerified ReviewerRated 5 out of 5 stars8/12/25Fantastic basil
This cultivar is a most amazing plant. It is easily 2-1/2 feet tall with 2 growing side-by-side in my raised bed (near Sungold cherry tomatoes) - it looks like a hedge but with a most desirable scent! The flavor is delicious in Caprese salad and in mixed salads. I have 3 growing in the garden in total and, despite not being able to utilize enough, it is showing no signs of bolting. Kudos to Epic for this wonderful herb. Also, 100% germination rate of 8 seeds on heat mat. Very pleased with purchase and have ordered more of these seeds for next year already.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateWho do you grow for? YourselfHow do you prefer to grow? In Ground - Wyn G.Verified ReviewerRated 4 out of 5 stars8/5/25A Slow Start, But Steady Flavor Payoff
Growing basil this season was a mixed experience. Not all the seeds germinated, and the ones that did were painfully slow to take off. I kept the soil warm and moist, but still had spotty success getting them to sprout. That said, the survivors are making up for it. Once established, they've become reliable producers, steadily supplying fresh, fragrant leaves perfect for pesto, pasta, and garnishes. I'd recommend basil for growers with a little patience. If you're not afraid of nurturing your plants through a sluggish start, you'll be rewarded with aromatic leaves all season long.
Which best describes you as a gardener? ExpertBIBotanical Interests8/12/25Hey Wyn,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your honest experience with our Everleaf Emerald Towers Basil Seeds! We really appreciate your patience with the slower germination and initial growth - basil can definitely be a bit finicky at the start, but it sounds like you handled it perfectly with the warm, moist soil. We're so glad to hear that once your plants got established, they really took off and became those reliable producers you were hoping for! There's nothing quite like fresh, fragrant basil leaves for pesto and pasta - sounds like you're getting exactly what this variety was designed for. Your advice about patience is spot on, and we love that you stuck with them through that sluggish start to get those aromatic leaves all season long. Thanks for the thoughtful review and for giving our basil the care it needed to thrive! Keep on growing 🌻️
- Tiffany J.Rated 5 out of 5 stars2/20/255 Stars
The Emerald Towers Basil was the most prolific growing, and gorgeous smelling thing of beauty grown in the garden last Spring. I have to grow it again this year. The taste is amazing and it makes the best tasting pesto. I can see that it will be one of those plants that will be on repeat in my garden year after year, God willing!!! I wish that I had more photos to share because it got quite big and it lasted into fall. I highly recommend it.