Reyhan Banafsh - Iranian Purple Basil

$6.00

sold out

100+ seeds per packet.

I have fallen in love with Reyhan Banafsh. What an incredible plant. Reyhan Banafsh is a jewel in the field. It’s like finding treasure. Not only is it a stunning plant (that absolutely refuses to lend its beauty to photos), but it also smells divine. Yes, it’s basil, but it also smells like cloves and cinnamon and warmth. And mint. And like an all-knowing enchanted relic. I was so right to name my farm Reyhan.

I love to eat it fresh. It’s the queen of the Sabzi Khordan. A tender texture with a bit of bite. That basil spice, and that mysterious warmth. Chopped and steeped in hot water, fresh or dried leaves create a delicious, calming tea. Sometimes, the color is a bland grey, but sometimes, it creates a blue, purple, or red color, depending on the water used. Amazing. Cut branches for intoxicating bouquets. I’m so excited for you to grow this herb. You’re going to really enjoy it.

100+ seeds per packet.

I have fallen in love with Reyhan Banafsh. What an incredible plant. Reyhan Banafsh is a jewel in the field. It’s like finding treasure. Not only is it a stunning plant (that absolutely refuses to lend its beauty to photos), but it also smells divine. Yes, it’s basil, but it also smells like cloves and cinnamon and warmth. And mint. And like an all-knowing enchanted relic. I was so right to name my farm Reyhan.

I love to eat it fresh. It’s the queen of the Sabzi Khordan. A tender texture with a bit of bite. That basil spice, and that mysterious warmth. Chopped and steeped in hot water, fresh or dried leaves create a delicious, calming tea. Sometimes, the color is a bland grey, but sometimes, it creates a blue, purple, or red color, depending on the water used. Amazing. Cut branches for intoxicating bouquets. I’m so excited for you to grow this herb. You’re going to really enjoy it.

Growing and Seed Harvesting Instructions

Start the plants after the threat of frost has passed; basil likes warm weather. Pinch the last 3-6 inches of each branch to harvest the herb and keep it growing bushier. Be sure to space plants grown for seed out at least 12 inches, so they have enough space and sunlight to grow viable seeds.

Basil plants will cross-pollinate with each other, which means that seeds can be pollinated by other varieties of basil if they are planted near each other and allowed to flower. You can avoid this by planting this basil variety at least 150ft away from other varieties (learn more about isolation here).

To harvest seed, harvest whole plants and let them dry completely. In our climate, sometimes we get a frost at the end of the season that kills the basil plants, and the sun the next day dries them out completely. I really appreciate when that happens because the plants get nice and dry, and ready for threshing.