Botanical Interests
Cardinal Basil Seeds
Cardinal Basil Seeds
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Product Details
Product Details
Cardinal's' richly colored blooms and robust flavor make it a wonderful dual-purpose basil. With its strong aroma, a little goes a long way in the kitchen. But it's also a striking accent in a mixed container, adding a unique shape, color, and fragrance. Bring its beauty indoors as a fragrant cut flower.
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- Variety Info
- Sowing Info
Variety Info
Family: Laminaceae
Type: Basil (Learn more)
Native: Probably Africa, but in cultivation for so long that it cannot be verified.
Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Plant Dimensions: About 24" tall and 20" wide.
Variety Info: Denser flowerheads, more lush foliage, and stronger fragrance than other basils.
Attributes: Attracts Pollinators, Cut Flower, Edible Flower, Good for Containers, Frost Sensitive
Sowing Info
When to Sow Outside: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 60°F, ideally 65°–85°F. Successive Sowings: We recommend 3 or 4 successive sowings every 3 weeks after initial sowing.
When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting outside. Transplant when your nighttime temperatures are above 50°F.
Days to Emerge: 5–10 Days
Seed Depth: ¼"
Seed Spacing: A group of 2 seeds every 12"
Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 1 every 12"
- LeslieCA, United StatesRated 5 out of 5 starsOct 8, 2025Absolutely stunning
Started these (late) indoors then moved them out to my raised beds. They got smothered by Sun Gold tomatoes. When the heat slowed the tomatoes down, these guys took off, huge bloom after huge bloom. I didn't cut the flowers because in late summer, my beds aren't looking their best and this basil is the star.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateWho do you grow for? YourselfHow do you prefer to grow? Raised BedEGEpic GardeningOct 10, 2025Hey Leslie,
Thank you so much for this fantastic 5-star review! "Absolutely stunning" is exactly what we love to hear about Cardinal Basil Seeds - and we're absolutely thrilled that these beautiful plants became the true stars of your late summer garden!
We absolutely love your story about how these resilient beauties waited their turn under those vigorous Sun Gold tomatoes and then absolutely took off when conditions were perfect! There's something so wonderful about how Cardinal Basil knows exactly when to shine - those "huge bloom after huge bloom" displays are exactly the kind of spectacular performance that makes this variety such a garden showstopper.
Your decision to let the flowers stay for that stunning visual impact is so smart, especially when you need something gorgeous to carry your beds through the late season. Cardinal Basil really does have that perfect combination of incredible flower power and that ability to be the star performer when other plants are starting to wind down. The fact that they're absolutely dominating your garden display right when you need it most just shows what amazing timing and garden presence these plants have!
Your experience will be so inspiring for other gardeners who want to discover how Cardinal Basil can become their own late-season garden star and provide that absolutely stunning floral impact when they need it most!
Keep on growing 🌻️
- Brittney M.Rated 5 out of 5 starsAug 25, 20245 Stars
This year I grew a couple different varieties of Basil all from Botanical Interest. I had success with all the varieties but I wanted to share my experience with their cardinal basil. It became my favorite not only because of its beautiful burst of color but because of the slightly more compact nature of it verses all the other ones that ended up over grown taking over my beds even after trimming them multiple times. I will be planting this variety next year throughout all my beds. 10/10 Recommend 😊
- Diane J.Rated 4 out of 5 starsJan 21, 20244 Stars
This basil plant was started indoors, zone 8a. We did make pesto from the basil and also enjoyed it fresh. I was hopeful for larger blooms, however by the end of August we soon needed the real-estate for carrots.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateEGEpic GardeningJan 21, 2024Hey Diane, Thank you for sharing our thoughts, and your photos, on the Cardinal Basil Seeds. Your basil plant is massive and it's great to hear you enjoyed making pesto with it. I'm sure it was delicious! Keep on growing 🌻️
- Jessica K.Rated 5 out of 5 starsAug 16, 20235 Stars
I planted this in containers and they are doing really well. The red flower tops are really pretty, but they are heavy and makes the stalk bend a little and started to shade out some of my smaller pepper plants. The leaves are a nice dark green and when it gets bigger the stems turn to a dark red/purple. The basil smells and tastes like sweet black liquorish to me, i will not be using this for culinary purposes but to add beauty going forward.
- JAMES M.Verified BuyerRated 1 out of 5 starsAug 20, 20241 Star
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Which best describes you as a gardener? Expert
