🌿 Growing 20+ Types of Basil at Once – From Sweet to Cinnamon Basil
This post documents my indoor growing trial of more than 20 basil varieties under grow lights, grouped by leaf shape, color, aroma, and growth habit, including sweet basil, Greek basil, fragrant specialty basil, lettuce-type basil, and purple basil varieties.
A journey into organized basil chaos
Let me introduce what I call the "madness of basil growing."
Yes, I’ve planted over 20 different types of basil, all at once.
Just taking the group photos was a big task—and that was already five days ago.
When you look at the plants together, it’s hard to tell what’s what.
So I grouped them by appearance and characteristics for clarity.
- I grew more than 20 basil varieties indoors under grow lights.
- The varieties were grouped by appearance, aroma, leaf shape, and growth habit.
- The Sweet Basil group included Eleanora, Super Sweet Genovese, Newton, Sweet Basil, Italian Large Leaf, Dolce Fresca, and Lime Basil.
- The Greek Basil group included Spicy Globe, Greek Basil, and Minette Basil.
- The fragrant specialty group included Thai Basil, Holy Basil, Lemon Basil, and Cinnamon Basil.
- The lettuce-type group included Sweet Mammoth Basil and Lettuce Leaf Basil.
- The purple basil group included Opal, Purple Ball, Red Rubin, and Red Ruffle Basil.
- Some varieties were replanted due to poor germination, over-fertilizing, or variety verification.
🌱 Group 1: The Sweet Basil Squad (7 types)
This group is the largest, and honestly… they all taste very similar to me.
Maybe it’s because I grew them under grow lights indoors, or maybe it’s just my taste buds.
They smell slightly different—but again, not easy to distinguish.
- Eleanora Basil
- Super Sweet Genovese Basil
- Newton Basil
- Sweet Basil
- Italian Large Leaf Basil
- Dolce Fresca Basil
- Lime Basil
🌿 Group 2: The Greek Basil Squad (3 types)
These have compact, globe-shaped leaves.
Spicy Globe Basil in particular grows quite well, though I haven’t figured out how best to use it in cooking yet.
- Spicy Globe Basil
- Greek Basil
- Minette Basil
🍋 Group 3: Fragrant Specialty Basil (4 types)
This group shows the most character.
The lemon basil really smells like lemons—so fresh and citrusy!
If you love cinnamon or spiced aromas, the cinnamon basil is worth growing.
I’m not a big fan of cinnamon myself, but the distinction is clear in this group.
- Thai Basil
- Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
- Lemon Basil
- Cinnamon Basil
🥬 Group 4: Lettuce-Type Basil (2 types)
Both are big-leaf varieties with a cabbage-like texture.
They are slightly different cultivars, but too early to compare.
- Sweet Mammoth Basil – the giant version
- Lettuce Leaf Basil – planted later, so it’s smaller right now
🟣 Group 5: Purple Basil Varieties (4 types)
All with beautiful deep purple leaves.
Opal Basil and Red Rubin look alike but are distinct varieties.
Purple Ball was unfortunately overdosed with fertilizer and isn’t growing well—so I’ve restarted it.
Red Ruffle looks like a purple cabbage and is quite decorative.
- Opal Basil
- Purple Ball Basil
- Red Rubin Basil
- Red Ruffle Basil
🍃 7 Basil Varieties Not Shown in Photos
These are either not growing yet or have been replanted due to poor germination.
- Aristotle Basil – replanted
- Mini Bonsai Basil – replanted
- Mrs. Burns’ Lemon Basil – didn’t sprout, trying again
- Rosie Basil (Purple) – new
- Persian Anise Basil – new
- Thai Queenette Basil – new
- Blue Spice Basil – new
🌱 Additional Replanted Varieties
I replanted these for better accuracy or because they failed to grow last time.
- Lime Basil – to verify the variety
- Lemon Basil – old seeds didn’t germinate
- Purple Ball Basil – over-fertilized, trying again
🧪 Why I’m Doing This
I wanted to try nearly every basil variety available in Korea—so I ordered all the seeds I could find.
From classic kitchen staples to rare purple ornamentals, I’m learning which ones thrive indoors, which ones really smell distinct, and which ones are just… pretty to look at.
🌿 Ever tried growing multiple basil varieties side by side?
Follow my blog for updates as I track the growth, scent, flavor, and form of 20+ types of basil—indoors!
Leave a comment if you’ve tried any of these or have tips for cooking with the lesser-known kinds!
Visit Us at Greenfingers
Thanks for reading! All the plants you see in my posts are lovingly raised right here at Greenfingers. We specialize in healthy, vibrant tropical plants and want to share the joy of gardening with the world.
If you’re a plant lover traveling through South Korea, feel free to stop by and say hello!
- Farm Name: Greenfingers (그린핑거스)
- Location: 42-6, Munbak-gil, Nangseong-myeon, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea (Postal Code: 28182)
- Follow us on Instagram: [@greenfingers.center]
"Growing happiness, one leaf at a time."
