Tulsi (Amrita) Seeds | Ocimum tenuiflorum/O. sanctum

Tulsi, also called holy basil (or Tulasi in Sanskrit) is indigenous to India and highly revered for her medicinal value within the Ayurvedic and Siddha medical systems.

In Ayurvedic medicine, tulsi is referred to as an “Elixir of Life” or “Queen of Herbs” and is considered by many to be the manifestation of the Divine Mother on Earth.

As a deliciously bright, aromatic, and flavorful plant ally, tulsi has long been worked with by herbalists as a general tonic to support a healthy response to stress and all the numerous ways it impacts us. 

While there are many different types of tulsi, Amrita tulsi is known for being a potent, colorful, small-leaved plant that can be more easily overwintered in greenhouses and is larger and more vigorous than Rama or Krishna types. 

Approximately 50 seeds, harvested for 2025.

Grown using only compost, water, & organic fertilizer, our plants are never treated or sprayed with anything at all. 

Lifecycle: Perennial

Zones: 10-12, otherwise grown either as an annual or as a potted plant protected during the winter (temperatures must stay above 50F)

Region: Native to southern India

Actions: Nervine, adaptogenic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, stomachic, cardioprotective, and immunomodulatory

Parts used: Leaf & flower

Planting: Tulsi plants are very easy to start from seed: she is a light-dependent germinator, so scatter seeds on the soil surface after any chance of frost, press in, and keep evenly moist, in the light, and very warm until germination (which is rapid). 

Spacing: 12-24"

Location: Tulsi is a tropical plant that appreciates well-drained soil, humidity, and plenty of moisture. If you live in an environment colder than zone 10 and don't wish to grow tulsi as an annual each year, you can move her to a heated greenhouse kept above 50F for the winter. 

Germination: 6-14 days

Our Seeds

The majority of our seeds offered are saved from our small medicinal plant farm right here in the Cascade foothills of Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Our plants are grown only with water, compost, & organic fertilizer. Never sprayed with herbicides, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or anything else. 

There are some seeds that we have not been able to harvest in abundance ourselves yet, so these are provided by a farm here in Oregon that is certified organic by the USDA and Oregon Tilth. 

Important

Always check with local authorities (such as your county extension) to see if non-native plants are invasive or noxious in your region.

Noxious plants are illegal to grow and cannot be shipped across state borders. Invasive species should never be intentionally planted, but should be harvested from the wild instead. 

They may hold medicinal value but they can destroy native ecosystems and habitats. There are likely less destructive alternatives with similar medicinal value that you can plant.