Aussie Sweetie Basil
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Jacquie Robichaud
Posted on: February 3, 2002

I am looking for a variety of Basil called Aussie Sweetie Basil. It is a tender perennial. Basil growing outside, doesn’t seem to do well here in Prince Edward Island. I would like to keep it in the house. My family in Manitoba has had the above mentioned variety of Basil for two years growing in the house and it is doing well. I can’t seem to find it anywhere to get it shipped.

We do not have ‘Aussie Sweetie’ basil, but Tom Debaggio and Susan Belsinger write in their book, "Basil, An Herb Lover’s Guide" (available from Richters), that ‘Aussie Sweetie’ is very similar to ‘Lesbos’, which we do carry. They suggest that ‘Aussie Sweetie’ "may share the same gene pool with ‘Lesbos’" in part because the essential oil compositions of the two are quite similar.

‘Lesbos’ basil is a beautiful basil for pot plant culture. It has the same columnar growth habit as ‘Aussie Sweetie’. It can reach 90-120 cm (3-4 feet) in height. Debaggio and Belsinger say that this variety has the one of the most complex aromas among the basils, starting with cinnamon, allspice and cloves at first, developing to anise and sweet fruit.

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