Purple Basil
Where to buy seeds
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Red Rubin Basil transforms the familiar sweet basil into something extraordinary with its stunning magenta-purple foliage and intensely aromatic profile. This Danish-bred cultivar, developed in 1992 as an improvement on Dark Opal, produces large Italian-type leaves that shimmer with deep burgundy color and virtually no green. Ready to harvest in 60-69 days, these compact bushes reach 12-24 inches tall and deliver a bold flavor that's more pungent than traditional sweet basil, with warm clove spice and mild sweetness that makes purple pesto as delicious as it is visually striking.
Full Sun
High
10-11
24in H x ?in W
Annual
High
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What sets Red Rubin apart is its remarkable intensity in both appearance and flavor. The magenta leaves grow up to 3 inches across with an almost burgundy-purple depth that adds drama to any garden bed or container. The aroma is powerfully pungent with distinctive clove notes that make it prized for both culinary and aromatherapy uses. As an improved cultivar of Dark Opal, it offers larger, more intensely colored foliage with superior vigor, producing abundantly until frost and even serving as a natural mosquito repellent throughout the summer.
Red Rubin excels in fresh applications where its striking color can shine, particularly in tomato salads where the magenta leaves create beautiful contrast. It's most famous for purple pesto that tastes as good as it looks dramatic, and for flavored vinegars that take on a gorgeous ruby hue. The leaves make excellent garnishes and can be used fresh in herbal teas or dried for winter use. Many gardeners also grow it as an ornamental bedding plant that happens to repel mosquitoes while providing aromatic foliage for sachets and natural stress-relief preparations.
Sow seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep and maintain soil temperature at 70°F for optimal germination, which occurs in 5-10 days. Plant 4-6 seeds per cell or pot, then thin to 1-2 strongest seedlings as true leaves develop.
Transplant seedlings outdoors when they have 3-4 sets of true leaves and all danger of frost has passed. Harden off seedlings gradually before transplanting, spacing them 4-8 inches apart in rows 18 inches wide.
Direct sow seeds 1/4 inch deep after soil warms, planting 2-3 seeds per inch in rows 18 inches apart. Firm soil over seeds gently. Thinning is not strictly necessary, but final spacing of 4-8 inches produces healthier, fuller plants.
Begin light harvesting once plants are well established, preferably in early morning when temperatures are cooler and leaves are less likely to wilt. For full harvest, cut the entire plant 4-6 inches above ground level just before flowering begins to promote a second flush of growth. Handle leaves carefully as they bruise easily, and harvest your final crop before temperatures drop below 40°F.
Harvest and prune plants regularly before they set flowers to encourage continuous leaf production throughout the season. Remove the top several sets of leaves on each stem while leaving at least three sets of leaves on the lower portion to ensure continued growth.
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“Red Rubin Basil emerged from Denmark around 1992 as plant breeders sought to improve upon the popular Dark Opal variety. The goal was to create a basil with larger, more intensely colored leaves and less green variegation. This cultivar represents the successful marriage of ornamental beauty with culinary excellence, taking the best characteristics of Dark Opal and amplifying them. The variety quickly gained popularity among gardeners who wanted the visual impact of purple foliage combined with the robust flavor that made it worthy of the kitchen, not just the flower border.”