Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Mrs. Burns' Lemon

Description:

An Old World variety producing flower spikes adorned with lavender flowers in mid summer; aromatic leaves are yellow-green and full of flavor; great for mixed containers, herb gardens, and annual beds

Edible Qualities

Mrs. Burns Famous Lemon Basil is an annual herb that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. The fragrant pointy chartreuse leaves are usually harvested from early summer to early fall. The leaves have a tangy taste and a pleasant fragrance.

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Seasoning

Planting & Growing

Mrs. Burns Famous Lemon Basil will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant is quite ornamental as well as edible, and is as much at home in a landscape or flower garden as it is in a designated herb garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Mrs. Burns Famous Lemon Basil is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.