Lemon Basil:  O. basilicum 'Citriodorum'.  Compact growth to 2 feet, and is lemon scented.

Lettuce Leaf Basil: O. basilicum crispum. Imported from Japan, it has large, crinkled leaves 3 inches long, shiny and bright green. The flowers are white.  Many gardners say this an is an excellent basil to grow indoors under artificial light or in a bright window.

Purple Basil: O. basilicum 'Dark Opal".  The leaves are reddish, purple with rose-pink flowers.  If used in flavoring vinegar, it will color the vinegar red.

Miniature Basil: O. basilicum 'Minimum". This is much smaller and more compact that sweet basil, other names for this variety are French Basil and sweet-fine basil.  It grows up to 12 inches high, and the leaves are 1/2 inch long and are bright green, with white flowers. Given the proper lighting this is a good indoor plant.

Tree Basil: O. gratissimum.  This is a shrub variety that can grow as high as 6 feet. The leaves are 4 inches long and the flowers are pale yellow.  It is an attractive yard ornament, but can be used as any other basil for cooking.

Camphor Basil: O. kilimandscharicum.  This is native to eastern Africa.  It is a perennial shrub that can grow to 10 foot in diameter. The leaves a downy on both sides and has a strong scent of camphor.  It is valued as a primary source of camphor, and is grown and cultivated commercially.

Tulsi (sacred) Basil: O. sanctum. This is a perineal shrub that can grow to 2 1/2 feet.  It is available in many varieties, they may have purple flowers, purple and white flowers and purple or green leaves. This is the plant that is  sacred to Hindu's and is commonly grown around the temples.  It has a strong clove scent and some people say it is mildly intoxicating.  Fresh leaves are used in salads or cold dishes, but never in cooking.

I'm sure this is more than you ever wanted to know about Basil...But I really learned a lot while researching this herb.  I hope you have fun planting, and experimenting with this herb...Just the fragrance alone is wonderful, but cooking with fresh herbs makes a world of difference in your food.

I want to add here that I was having an awful time finding "the right" background for my herb page, and out of frustration I asked this wonderful person if they could maybe create something for me, with a slight description of "something with Basil, Rosemary and Lavender"..well you see the wonderful results. I can't thank Lolis enough for this. If you are looking for something beautiful, subtle, elegant and creatively different, please stop by this site, you will not be disappointed, I know I never have. Thanks again Lolis.