Herb

Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Ocimum tenuiflorum

"তুলসী (Tulshi)"

Quick Facts

Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Herb

Family

Lamiaceae

Growing Area

Grown in virtually every Hindu household across Bangladesh; also found in Muslim homesteads for medicinal use; grows wild in disturbed ground throughout the country

Habitat

Homestead gardens, temple compounds, roadsides and disturbed ground

Propagation

Seeds or stem cuttings

Planting Time

February–April

Harvesting Time

Leaves harvested year-round

Use Value

Sacred herb in Hindu tradition — kept in courtyard shrines. Used extensively in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine for colds, fevers, respiratory ailments and stress. Leaves made into herbal tea.

Bloom Months

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

About

Ocimum tenuiflorum, commonly known as tulasi, tulsi, or holy basil, is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is widely cultivated throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia and the western Pacific. This plant has escaped from cultivation and has naturalized in many tropical regions of the Americas. It is an agricultural and environmental weed. Tulasi is cultivated for religious and traditional medicine purposes, and also for its essential oil. It is widely used as an herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda. It has a place within the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving the plant or its leaves.

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Data Attribution & Acknowledgments

Text & Information

Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Photographs (6 images)

Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0Public Domain

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