Ocimum basilicum Siam Queen is an annual. This superior Thai basil was an All America Winner in 1997. It has a delicious, spicy sweet flavour with a cinnamon and aniseed basil aroma. It forms a compact plant with green leaves and beautiful pink & purple flowers on red-purple stems. It is a very attractive container variety and can be used as an accent in the flower garden. A distinct improvement over older varieties of Thai Basils, Siam Queen’s yields are impressive, because the leaves are twice the size. Basil is easy to grow from seed. Basil leaves should be harvested before the plant flowers. The young, top leaves taste the best and should be used fresh. The older leaves may be used for vinegar and pesto. To harvest most of the plant, cut the main stem, leaving at least 3 pairs of leaves near the ground plant will regrow and produce additional leaves. You can prolong the harvest period by pinching off flower buds to maintain flavour. If there is any chance of temperatures dropping to 3 degrees Celsius, harvest crop immediately. The best time to harvest any herb is in the morning, after the dew dries, but before it gets too warm. Alternatively, you could harvest in the early evening.