annual herb
Thai basil
A high-value herb for hot weather, stir-fries, curries, and pollinator flowers.
Growing Profile
- Hardiness
- Zones 4a-11a
- Sun
- Full
- Soil
- Loam
- Water
- Medium
- Deer pressure
- Seldom damaged Use as a deer browsing cue, not a guarantee; heavy deer pressure can override resistance ratings.
- Black walnut
- Not rated No black-walnut cue is assigned yet; verify placement if planting inside a walnut root zone.
- Planting depth
- Set transplants at nursery depth or follow seed-packet depth for direct sowing.
- Container min
- 1+ gal (good)
- Goals
- Vegetables & herbsPollinators & wildlife
Harvest & Use
- Window
- anise-scented leaves all summer
- Output
- 8-18 weeks of harvest
- First output
- 40-70 days
- Best for
- Vegetables & herbsPollinators & wildlife
Timing: anise-scented leaves all summer. This profile tracks 8-18 weeks of harvest with a harvest or display window of 10-18 weeks where defensible.
Plant photos
What it looks like in the garden
Use these photos to compare the plant's leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, and overall habit before you buy or plant.
Photos show a representative plant in the garden. Fruit color, size, and growth habit can vary by cultivar, season, nursery stock, and site.
Photo sources: Netha Hussain / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quantitative Profile
- Full output
- This season
- Mature size
- 1-3 ft H x 1-2 ft W
- Spacing
- 0.8-1.5 ft in-row x 1-2 ft rows
- Planting depth
- Set transplants at nursery depth or follow seed-packet depth for direct sowing.
- Container min
- 1+ gal (good)
- Productive life
- 1 yrs
- Difficulty
- 1/5
- Reliability
- 4/5
- Data quality
- Medium profile, No pound-yield source
Pound return is the stock-style yield metric. These are planning ranges for comparing plants, not guarantees. Cultivar, rootstock, climate, soil, pruning, pest pressure, and wildlife can move actual results.
Planting Checklist
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Right-size container with drainage
Containers / Before plantingUse a container large enough for mature roots, with open drainage holes to prevent root rot.
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Expanding container potting mix
Containers / Before plantingUse a lighter container medium instead of dense garden soil in pots and grow bags.
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Seedling heat mat
Propagation / Pre-seasonWarm seed trays for peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, basil, and other crops that germinate slowly in cool rooms.
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Seed-starting trays
Propagation / Pre-seasonStart annual vegetables, herbs, and flowers ahead of transplant season.
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Soil thermometer
Timing / Before plantingCheck whether spring soil is actually warm enough for direct sowing, transplanting, and tender warm-season crops.
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Seedling grow light
Propagation / Pre-seasonKeep indoor seedlings compact and sturdy before they move outside.
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Floating row cover
Protection / At plantingProtect young crops from wind, light frost, and early pest pressure while still letting light and water through.
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Balanced garden fertilizer
Nutrition / During growthFeed annual vegetables, herbs, flowers, and hungry container crops according to soil or label guidance.
Planting Strategy
- Planting depth: Set transplants at nursery depth or follow seed-packet depth for direct sowing.
- Container minimum: 1+ gal (good). Small herbs, leafy crops, and radishes work in 1+ gal pots or wider shallow planters.
- Start with one plant when testing fit in a new bed or container.
- Plant more than one when harvest volume or pollination is the main goal.
- Use the pairing map below to choose nearby companions or compatible varieties.
Risk Factors
- Match the site first: full light, loam soil, and medium water.
- Use 0.8-1.5 ft in-row x 1-2 ft rows as the first spacing model; adjust for hedges, trellises, containers, or local guidance.
- Plan around mature size: 1-3 ft H x 1-2 ft W.
- For harvest planning, treat "anise-scented leaves all summer" and 8-18 weeks of harvest as planning ranges, not guarantees.
- Plan pollination or companion context before planting; nearby varieties can matter for fruit set.
Related Planning Guides
Comparable Plants
Companion Plants & Pairings
Plant Nearby
Basil fits the same sunny, warm, regularly watered bed as tomatoes and keeps harvest tasks clustered together.
Use it: Tuck basil at the front or aisle side of tomato beds where regular picking is easy and tomato shade is limited.
Peppers and eggplants share tomato-like growing conditions and pair cleanly with nearby flowering or aromatic companions in mixed beds.
Use it: Keep companions low and off the pepper crown; use them as edge plants or alternating pockets rather than a dense understory.
Sources & Methodology
This guide combines hardiness range, light, soil, water, harvest timing, traits, supplier links, plant relationships, and quantitative planning metrics. Pairings are screened for practical garden fit.
Quantitative values use extension and botanical-reference ranges where available. For less-studied cultivars, similar crops fill gaps conservatively. Ranges are intentionally broad so the profile stays useful without pretending to be exact.
Planning sources: UGA Extension - Growing Vegetables OrganicallyNC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxUniversity of Maryland Extension - Types of Containers for Growing VegetablesIllinois Extension - Growing Vegetables in ContainersRutgers NJAES - Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance
Affiliate listing: Amazon. Search links are not paid placements unless explicitly marked; affiliate listings may earn a commission. Last reviewed: 2026-05-31.