Basil Classic Italian
Classic Italian sweet basil - the true pesto basil
The famous large-leaved Genovese basil - intensely fragrant, sweet and never bitter, and the only basil for a proper pesto. Quick from seed and wonderfully generous on a windowsill, patio or greenhouse.
About this variety
If you grow one herb, make it this one. Genovese is the large-leaved sweet basil bred over generations around Genoa specifically for big tender leaves and a balanced sweetness with none of the bitterness lesser basils carry. It is the only basil for a proper pesto.
The leaves are broad, glossy and richly green, with that warm clove-and-anise aroma that fills a kitchen the moment you tear one. A single pot on a windowsill scents a room.
Treat it as the Mediterranean plant it is — warm, fed, and picked constantly. Water in the morning at the base and keep the leaves dry, since water sitting on the foliage overnight is what causes mildew. Pinch out flower spikes as they form; the flavour is at its best before the plant flowers.
Plant alongside
Basil Classic Italian pairs beautifully with these kitchen garden companions
