A stunningly beautiful basil disguised as a Celosia, Cardinal wows you with big spiky blooms of cerise-red atop bright burgundy stems! Fragrant, well-branched, and every bit as delicious as plain old basils, Cardinal is the ultimate edible ornamental, offering something for everyone in the sunny garden!
The leaves on this plant are bright green and very tasty, ready to start harvesting just 60 days after sowing (or even sooner for smaller, more tender leaves). Richly aromatic, they are perfect for pesto and sandwiches, salads and Mediterranean cuisine.
But unlike most others, Cardinal has spectacular blooms! Very tightly packed in pointed peaks, they begin in late spring from an early planting, and continue all the way into early fall. Magnificent!
And the blooms aren't the only attraction of this beauty. The flowering stems are a rich shade of burgundy as well, standing out brilliantly from the green leaves. Sturdy and strong, they hold their bounty of blooms very nicely!
Cardinal reaches about 24 to 30 inches high in the sunny garden, and spreads 12 to 18 inches wide. It is irresistible to butterflies, bees, and birds, and makes a great container subject. Plant it around the perimeter of your vegetable patch to keep destructive pests at bay -- it will be the most beautiful repellent you've ever used! And mix it right in with annual flowering plants, particularly those lacking a strong scent. Cardinal is happy to share its rich, spicy aroma!
These seeds can be direct-sown in spring after all danger of frost, when night temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees F and the soil feels warm to the touch. Cover them with a scant ¼-inch of soil, and keep the soil moist until they have sprouted, which usually takes about 5 to 10 days. Alternatively, start them indoors in late winter, 6 to 8 weeks before last scheduled frost, in your Bio-Dome, and transplant them after nights are warm and the seedlings have at least 2 sets of true leaves.
One the plants are about 6 weeks old, pinch out the central growing stem. This will encourage the side shoots to leaf out, and keep the plant from blooming too quickly. Even if you are growing Cardinal as an ornamental, you'll want a bushier, more full plant. And if you grow it for culinary use, you want to keep pinching off those flower buds as soon as you see them, because once this basil blooms, it is no longer as tasty. (Our recommendation is to grow some of both: ornamental and culinary. That's why you get 100 seeds to a packet!)
Like all basil, Cardinal appreciates full sunshine and moist, well-drained, enriched soil. This is not a "lean" herb; give it rich soil and it will repay you generously in yields and beauty! Pkt is 100 seeds.
Basil is a sun-loving annual herb that is among the most popular in the world for flavoring food. Native to Asia, it was carried from India to Egypt to Greece in the ancient world, and remains a mainstay of cuisine in many cultures. In the garden, it is often grown alongside tomatoes, and is considered a guard plant protecting veggies and flowering plants from some predators.
Choosing a Basil Variety
Selecting which basil to grow is the most difficult part of gardening with this scrumptious herb! Most have green leaves and either pink or purple blooms, though some sport purple-toned foliage. We recommend that for growing indoors, you select dwarf varieties. There are many delectable choices:
Sweet Basil - Used in French, Italian, Greek, and other Mediterranean cuisines, these varieties are mildly flavored yet strongly aromatic, an irresistible combination! Nufar Hybrid is a Genovese type that resists fusarium wilt, making it one of the easiest to grow. Large Leaf Italian is among the most popular for fresh or dried use. And Pistou is a very compact French variety with a sweet, mild bite.
Spicy Basil - A mainstay of Oriental cuisine, these varieties pack a stronger, spicier bite than their sweet cousins. AAS winner Thai Siam Queen delivers zingy flavor on extra-large plants that produce very heavily, while unusual Cinnamon uniquely combines the sweet with the spicy!
Citrus Basil - Combining lemon or lime flavors with traditional basil flavor makes a superb addition to drinks and desserts! One of our favorites is Mrs. Burns' Lemon, an heirloom variety from New Mexico with lip-puckering intensity. Lime is indispensable for Thai cuisine, and its dwarf habit makes it a must-have in the indoor kitchen garden.
Can't decide where to begin? We recommend that you save money with our sampler platter -- the Culinary Collection! You'll get a packet each of 4 of our very best: one Genovese, one French, one lemon, and one purple-leaf!
When to Start Basil Seeds
To grow basil indoors, sow the seeds at any time of year. To grow in the garden, begin seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before anticipated transplant date. Transplant the seedlings or sow seeds directly into the soil only when daytime temperatures are in the 70's and nighttime temps remain above 50°F.
How to Start Basil Seeds
Drop one seed into each bio sponge of your Bio Dome, or sow on top of a seed flat and lightly cover with vermiculite. Germination occurs in 5 to 15 days at any temperature between 65 and 85°F. Transplant the seedlings anytime after they have 2 sets of true leaves.
Special Considerations
Growing Tips for Basil Plants
Pests and Problems to Watch For
Outdoors, slugs and beetles can nibble the leaves. Using a sharp mulch will discourage their approach.
Indoors, aphids can become a problem. Check the undersides of new leaves very carefully for signs of these tiny white creatures, and spray leaves on both sides to keep them clean.
This culinary herb is grown in ground in the garden, but also transitions well to container culture. The purple-leaved types are highly ornamental. Plants grow 15-24 inches tall and wide and produce ornamentally unimportant, white or purplish flowers in the summer. It is grown for the broad, dark green or dark purple, aromatic foliage. Depending on the variety, the foliage will be redolent of clove, anise, cinnamon, lemon, rose, or orange. Harvest the leaves at any time for fresh use. To dry them for storage, harvest the leaves as the flowers begin to open
Superior Germination Through Superior Science
First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.
Superior Standards - University Inspected
Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians
Park Seed has been handling and packing vegetable and flower seeds for 145 years, a history that has given us a great understanding of how each variety should be cared for and maintained throughout every step of theprocess, from collection to shipping.
When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.
The Park Seed Gold Standard
Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).
Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.
A stunningly beautiful basil disguised as a Celosia, Cardinal wows you with big spiky blooms of cerise-red atop bright burgundy stems! Fragrant, well-branched, and every bit as delicious as plain old basils, Cardinal is the ultimate edible ornamental, offering something for everyone in the sunny garden!
The leaves on this plant are bright green and very tasty, ready to start harvesting just 60 days after sowing (or even sooner for smaller, more tender leaves). Richly aromatic, they are perfect for pesto and sandwiches, salads and Mediterranean cuisine.
But unlike most others, Cardinal has spectacular blooms! Very tightly packed in pointed peaks, they begin in late spring from an early planting, and continue all the way into early fall. Magnificent!
And the blooms aren't the only attraction of this beauty. The flowering stems are a rich shade of burgundy as well, standing out brilliantly from the green leaves. Sturdy and strong, they hold their bounty of blooms very nicely!
Cardinal reaches about 24 to 30 inches high in the sunny garden, and spreads 12 to 18 inches wide. It is irresistible to butterflies, bees, and birds, and makes a great container subject. Plant it around the perimeter of your vegetable patch to keep destructive pests at bay -- it will be the most beautiful repellent you've ever used! And mix it right in with annual flowering plants, particularly those lacking a strong scent. Cardinal is happy to share its rich, spicy aroma!
These seeds can be direct-sown in spring after all danger of frost, when night temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees F and the soil feels warm to the touch. Cover them with a scant ¼-inch of soil, and keep the soil moist until they have sprouted, which usually takes about 5 to 10 days. Alternatively, start them indoors in late winter, 6 to 8 weeks before last scheduled frost, in your Bio-Dome, and transplant them after nights are warm and the seedlings have at least 2 sets of true leaves.
One the plants are about 6 weeks old, pinch out the central growing stem. This will encourage the side shoots to leaf out, and keep the plant from blooming too quickly. Even if you are growing Cardinal as an ornamental, you'll want a bushier, more full plant. And if you grow it for culinary use, you want to keep pinching off those flower buds as soon as you see them, because once this basil blooms, it is no longer as tasty. (Our recommendation is to grow some of both: ornamental and culinary. That's why you get 100 seeds to a packet!)
Like all basil, Cardinal appreciates full sunshine and moist, well-drained, enriched soil. This is not a "lean" herb; give it rich soil and it will repay you generously in yields and beauty! Pkt is 100 seeds.
Basil is a sun-loving annual herb that is among the most popular in the world for flavoring food. Native to Asia, it was carried from India to Egypt to Greece in the ancient world, and remains a mainstay of cuisine in many cultures. In the garden, it is often grown alongside tomatoes, and is considered a guard plant protecting veggies and flowering plants from some predators.
Choosing a Basil Variety
Selecting which basil to grow is the most difficult part of gardening with this scrumptious herb! Most have green leaves and either pink or purple blooms, though some sport purple-toned foliage. We recommend that for growing indoors, you select dwarf varieties. There are many delectable choices:
Sweet Basil - Used in French, Italian, Greek, and other Mediterranean cuisines, these varieties are mildly flavored yet strongly aromatic, an irresistible combination! Nufar Hybrid is a Genovese type that resists fusarium wilt, making it one of the easiest to grow. Large Leaf Italian is among the most popular for fresh or dried use. And Pistou is a very compact French variety with a sweet, mild bite.
Spicy Basil - A mainstay of Oriental cuisine, these varieties pack a stronger, spicier bite than their sweet cousins. AAS winner Thai Siam Queen delivers zingy flavor on extra-large plants that produce very heavily, while unusual Cinnamon uniquely combines the sweet with the spicy!
Citrus Basil - Combining lemon or lime flavors with traditional basil flavor makes a superb addition to drinks and desserts! One of our favorites is Mrs. Burns' Lemon, an heirloom variety from New Mexico with lip-puckering intensity. Lime is indispensable for Thai cuisine, and its dwarf habit makes it a must-have in the indoor kitchen garden.
Can't decide where to begin? We recommend that you save money with our sampler platter -- the Culinary Collection! You'll get a packet each of 4 of our very best: one Genovese, one French, one lemon, and one purple-leaf!
When to Start Basil Seeds
To grow basil indoors, sow the seeds at any time of year. To grow in the garden, begin seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before anticipated transplant date. Transplant the seedlings or sow seeds directly into the soil only when daytime temperatures are in the 70's and nighttime temps remain above 50°F.
How to Start Basil Seeds
Drop one seed into each bio sponge of your Bio Dome, or sow on top of a seed flat and lightly cover with vermiculite. Germination occurs in 5 to 15 days at any temperature between 65 and 85°F. Transplant the seedlings anytime after they have 2 sets of true leaves.
Special Considerations
Growing Tips for Basil Plants
Pests and Problems to Watch For
Outdoors, slugs and beetles can nibble the leaves. Using a sharp mulch will discourage their approach.
Indoors, aphids can become a problem. Check the undersides of new leaves very carefully for signs of these tiny white creatures, and spray leaves on both sides to keep them clean.
This culinary herb is grown in ground in the garden, but also transitions well to container culture. The purple-leaved types are highly ornamental. Plants grow 15-24 inches tall and wide and produce ornamentally unimportant, white or purplish flowers in the summer. It is grown for the broad, dark green or dark purple, aromatic foliage. Depending on the variety, the foliage will be redolent of clove, anise, cinnamon, lemon, rose, or orange. Harvest the leaves at any time for fresh use. To dry them for storage, harvest the leaves as the flowers begin to open
Superior Germination Through Superior Science
First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.
Superior Standards - University Inspected
Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians
Park Seed has been handling and packing vegetable and flower seeds for 145 years, a history that has given us a great understanding of how each variety should be cared for and maintained throughout every step of theprocess, from collection to shipping.
When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.
The Park Seed Gold Standard
Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).
Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.