How to Plant, Grow, and Care for ‘Cinnamon’ Basil

Although sweet Italian basil is well known to most gardeners and eaters, there are many other varieties of basil you can grow. These less common varieties are more difficult to find at markets, so they’re great candidates for growing at home.

‘Cinnamon’ basil produces beautiful purple and green foliage and stems that make it a great addition to cutting gardens. The leaves have a unique, sweet, cinnamon-like fragrance and taste, making this herb a good addition to both sweet and savory dishes.

You can use ‘Cinnamon’ basil as an edible herb in the kitchen or cut the flowering stems as a bouquet filler. It’s even possible to use a single plant for both culinary and floral applications.

Native Area

The general sweet basil species, Ocimum basilicum, is native to tropical areas in Central and Southeast Asia. After this wild plant was cultivated, numerous varieties emerged, including ‘Cinnamon’ basil.

Characteristics

‘Cinnamon’ basil grows in a branching pattern with deep purple stems and light green leaves. It eventually produces clusters of purple flowers at the top of the stems. Although ‘Cinnamon’ basil closely resembles Thai basil cultivars, it has a distinctive aroma with less anise and more spice.

The plants are annuals and can go from seed to flower in as little as 60 days. However, regularly harvesting the leaves and pruning off flowers will encourage the plants to produce tender new foliage throughout the summer.

Planting

You can grow ‘Cinnamon’ basil by directly sowing the seeds in the ground or transplanting young seedlings. I prefer to start seeds in pots, then transplant young plants. Transplanting leads to more reliable germination, makes it easy to place plants at the proper spacing, and lets you sneak in a spring crop of radishes or lettuce before you add your basil.

Basil can’t tolerate below-freezing temperatures and becomes stressed when the air dips below 45°F (7°C), so wait until a few weeks after your last frost to plant it outdoors. Starting seeds indoors two to three weeks before your average last frost date will give you seedlings that are ready to transplant outdoors at the proper time.

Starting Seeds Indoors

Since finding this unique basil variety in garden centers can be tricky, you may have to start with seeds. Fortunately, these seeds are easy to germinate and grow into healthy seedlings. Follow these steps to grow healthy seedlings that you can later transplant outdoors.

How to Grow

‘Cinnamon’ basil grows much like other types of basil, and it requires similar care. As long as you provide the proper environment and care, the plants can continue to produce new growth for multiple months.

Light

‘Cinnamon’ basil grows best in full sun. It can tolerate a little bit of shade, but you should make sure it receives at least eight hours of bright light each day.

Water

Like most types of basil, this spicy variety grows best when it receives consistent moisture. The plants don’t tolerate drought well, so avoid letting the soil dry.

Watering one to two inches per week is typically sufficient, but the plants may require more water during hot, dry days. Long, slow, deep waterings are ideal since they allow the water to percolate through the soil and encourage the basil plants to develop deep roots.

Since ‘Cinnamon’ basil leaves are prone to fungal diseases like downy mildew and fusarium wilt, it’s important to keep the foliage dry. Avoid using overhead sprinklers or spraying your plants with a hose. Instead, water near the base of the plant with a hose or watering can, or install a drip irrigation system.

Soil

Although ‘Cinnamon’ basil likes moist soil, it doesn’t like sitting in water. That means well-draining soil is key! If you notice water puddling on the soil after heavy rain, avoid planting your basil in this area.  You can attempt to aerate the soil with a shovel or digging fork, but choosing a naturally well-draining area is a better option.

This fragrant herb also likes soil that’s rich in organic matter. Mixing in a few handfuls of compost into the top six inches of soil will help provide food for beneficial microbes, improve drainage, and increase water holding capacity.

Fertilizing

‘Cinnamon’ basil benefits from regular applications of a low-dose, balanced fertilizer. Adding a small amount of granular fertilizer at planting time will help the seedlings put on new growth, and adding diluted fish emulsion once a month throughout the growing season will supply more nutrients.

If you added nutrient-rich compost to your soil before planting, you won’t have to add as much fertilizer. Many times, a high-quality compost is all the plants need to remain healthy.

Maintenance

‘Cinnamon’ basil doesn’t require much maintenance outside of regular harvesting or pruning. Trimming the plants before or while they’re flowering will encourage them to produce tender new leaves. I’ll cover more on how to properly harvest below.

Propagation

You can propagate ‘Cinnamon’ basil in numerous ways, but the two most common are from cuttings and seeds. Taking cuttings helps you establish new plants more quickly, but saving seed allows you to grow this herb the following year.

Cuttings

Taking basil cuttings is easy and allows you to grow a new plant in a couple of weeks. Start by locating a stem that is six to eight inches long and contains at least three leaf nodes but no flowers. Cut the stem just below one of the sets of leaves, remove all but the top leaves from the cutting, then place it in a container filled with water.

Keep the cutting in a location with indirect light, and change the water every few days. You should see roots beginning to form on the submerged stem in two to three weeks. Once the roots are half an inch long, you can pot the cutting into a container or plant it in your garden.

Seed

Another way to propagate ‘Cinnamon’ basil is to let the plants go to flower and collect the mature seeds. You’ll need to leave the flowers on the plants long enough that they form seeds. When they’re ready, small black seeds will fall from the flowers when you shake them.

Lay the seedheads in a dry, warm area to dehydrate. When they’re dry, shake them over a towel or mat, then place them in a sealed bag or container to store.

Harvesting and Storage

You can grow ‘Cinnamon’ basil for its flowers, foliage, or both. Harvesting in the early morning is ideal, regardless of which part of the plant you’re harvesting.

If you want to cut the leaves to use fresh or dry for teas, cut a stem just above a leaf node. The remaining nodes will continue to grow and allow for future harvests. After you cut the stems, place them in a container filled with water while making sure no lower leaves are sitting in the water. Keep the stems in a cool area out of direct light, but don’t place them in your refrigerator.

Cutting the plant for flowers is similar to harvesting it for foliage, but you have to wait until the plants go to flower. Cut the stems above a leaf node, then place them in water and set them in a cool area that’s out of direct light.

Common Problems

‘Cinnamon’ basil is susceptible to many of the same problems that plague other types of basil. Watch for the following pests and diseases, and take action when necessary.

Pests

Many of the small, sapsucking pests that attack flowers and vegetables also threaten basil. Here are some of the most common attackers.

Sap-Sucking Pests

Aphids, thrips, and whiteflies can all congregate on ‘Cinnamon’ basil plants and reproduce as they use the plant’s sap as fuel. Natural predators like green lacewings and parasitic wasps often keep these pest numbers low, but you may have to spray the pests with a strong stream of water from a hose and follow up with insecticidal soap if they get out of control.

Japanese Beetles

These brown and green beetles will eat a wide range of garden plants, including ‘Cinnamon’ basil. Each beetle can quickly chew jagged holes in the leaves, so removing them as soon as you see them is crucial if you want your plants to remain healthy. The easiest way to deal with Japanese beetles is to check your plants on a daily basis and pick or shake the pests into a container filled with soapy water.

Diseases

It’s not uncommon for ’ Cinnamon’ basil to become infected by one or more diseases, especially if you live in an area with humid or rainy summers.

Downy Mildew

Downy mildew on basil plants is caused by the fungal pathogen Peronospora belbahrii. Symptoms include fuzzy, light gray growth on the leaves, dark brown patches, and/or yellowing foliage. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to treat downy mildew once it occurs.

You can help prevent this disease by keeping your plant’s leaves dry and allowing for good airflow. Avoid overhead watering and plant at the proper spacing.

Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium wilt is another fungal disease that often attacks ‘Cinnamon’ basil. Healthy plants quickly develop brown discoloration on the lower stem and leaves, then wilt. There is no treatment for the disease, so pulling infected plants is the best option.