5. Red Rubin

The leaves on this basil plant are a deep shade of purple, rather than an actual red hue. It grows to be around a foot tall and 8 to 10 inches wide. It is a full plant with smooth leaves and very easy to germinate from seed.

4. Mrs. Burns Lemon

If you live in an area where the summer is hot and dry, then this is the perfect basil plant for your garden. It actually loves dry summer weather and produces pink flowers right before it goes to seed. The pink blooms can be pinched off to allow more side shoots to grow off of this particular basil plant. It has an excellent lemon flavor to its leaves and grows up to two feet in height.

3. Lettuce Leaf

Gardeners who also enjoy cooking like to grow this variety of basil for making salads, sandwiches, and pesto. The leaves are huge and even the flowers are edible. It can reach a height of 2 feet and bears lots of leaves measuring 4 by 6 inches. Due to its pale color of leaves, some people like to make this type of basil an addition to their flower garden as an accent plant.

2. Minette

This variety of basil grows in perfect 10 inch spheres. Each miniature basil hedge can be grown in a container with other herbs, among other vegetable plants in a large garden, in a window box, along the edge of a walkway, or right next to flowers in need of an accent plant. Even the small mild-flavored leaves of this type of basil are great for cooking purposes.

1. Large Leaf Italian

Whether you are a connoisseur of fine Italian cuisine or just like making it for your family now and again, this kind of basil is a must-have in your garden. These basil plants can grow to measure 2 feet tall and 18 inches wide. The leaves are a striking dark green with a glossy sheen to them.

What is your favorite type of basil to grow?

Top Photo Credit: gairid1791