Basil

True basil is an aromatic plant from the St. John's Wort family. Blooms from June to September. It is native to India and other humid tropical regions of Asia, where it has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. It reached Europe in the 16th century and is currently grown mostly in gardens and homes.

Basils are evergreen plants or shrubs with an aromatic scent. Most species contain 0.3 to 1.5 percent oil in their leaves. The obtained basil oil mainly contains linalool, estragol and camphor. Oil is also obtained from cold-pressed seeds.