African Blue basil
Encyclopedia
African blue basil is one of a few types of basil that is perennial. It is a sterile hybrid of two other breeds of basil, unable to produce seeds of its own, and is propagated by cuttings.

This particular breed of basil has a strong camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...

 scent, inherited from Ocimum kilimandscharicum (camphor basil), its East African parent. The concentration of camphor is 22% (compared with 61% for O. kilimandscharicum). The concentration of the other major aroma compounds, linalool (55%), and 1,8-cineole (15%) is comparable to many basil cultivars.

Although the combination of a perennial plant with the scent and flavor of sweet basil would seem to make it a very desirable culinary variety, the high camphor content can interfere with its use in cooking. It is, however, an attractive ornamental.

The leaves of African blue basil start out purple when young, only growing green as the given leaf grows to its full size, and even then retaining purple veins. Based on other purple basils, the color is from anthocyanin
Anthocyanin
Anthocyanins are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that may appear red, purple, or blue according to pH...

s, especially cyanidin-3-(di-p-coumarylglucoside)-5-glucoside, but also other cyanidin
Cyanidin
Cyanidin is a natural organic compound. It is a particular type of anthocyanidin . It is a pigment found in many red berries including but not limited to grapes, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, elderberry, hawthorn, loganberry, acai berry and raspberry...

-based and peonidin
Peonidin
Peonidin is an O-methylated anthocyanidin, and a primary plant pigment. Peonidin gives purplish-red hues to flowers such as the peony, from which it takes its name, and roses. It is also present in some blue flowers, such as the morning glory....

-based compounds.

It blooms profusely like an annual, but being sterile can never go to seed. It's also taller than many basil cultivars.
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