What is Holy Basil (Tulsi)? An Incredible Healing Herb

What is Holy Basil (Tulsi)? 

A part of the large and beloved mint family, tulsi is in good company along with rosemary, sage, all mints, basil, and so many more.  A native to the lowlands of India as well as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand and Malasia, tulsi or Holy Basil, has been beloved and used for centuries not only for her physical medicine but her spiritual offerings.  

You can find this sacred herb growing at the entrance of temples and homes. Sacred to the Hindu god Vishnu, it is used in morning prayers to bring about good health for the individual as well as the family unit.  

In India, tulsi can be found growing in domestic courtyards, as it said to help purify the atmosphere, helping to break down chemicals and dispel disease-carrying viruses and bacteria.

Health Benefits of Holy Basil

Along with its spiritual connections, tulsi has been used for centuries as a powerful medicinal herb. Tulsi also holds the auspicious title of being an adaptogen, meaning it can help the body adjust to environmental stressors.

Nervous System

A powerful support for the nervous system, tulsi:

• Offers an uplifting and strengthening energy to the body
• Support someone experiencing exhaustion or adrenal fatigue, as it helps to reduce our fight-or-flight response
• Helps to support mental capacity and clear brain fog, with a special affinity for menopausal brain fog.
• Helps reduce anxiety, mild depression, and insomnia
• Helps increase one’s resilience to stress

Digestive System

• Tulsi is also a carminative, helping with gas, nausea and intestinal bloating.
• The tea can be taken to help relieve intestinal viruses and to relieve diarrhea.
• According to Herbalist David Winston, tulsi can be combined with Licorice, Goldenseal, Turmeric, Calendula, or Plantain leaf to help treat ulcers
• Having antiviral properties, tulsi can also be used as an immune tonic to overall support the immune system

Tulsi Tea & Infused Water Recipes

Holy Basil & Mountain Mint Infused Water

One of my favorite ways to use tulsi is to dry its leaves to make tea and infused water throughout the year. This infused water is so simple, refreshing, and absolutely delicious. 

Ingredients

1. One small handful of fresh tulsi
2. One small handful of Mountain Mint
3. Half of a fresh lemon, chopped

Add all ingredients to your favorite pitcher with a bit of water and crush/mix with a spoon. Fill with water and refrigerate for a medicinal, delicious water.  

Tulsi Rose & Ginger Tea Recipe

For a wintertime tea that supports the immune system and the emotional body, I love this blend:

Ingredients

1. Two tablespoons dried crushed tulsi leaves
2. Two tablespoons dried crushed rose petals
3. One tablespoon sliced fresh ginger

I like to use a glass teapot with a built-in strainer, as I always make loose-leaf teas. Tea bags simply aren’t as potent as bulk or fresh herbs. I love being able to add as much of the herb as I like to create unique blends. And when we are using herbs as medicine, tea bags aren’t offering medicinal doses. I digress.

Add your herbs to your teapot and pour over your hot water (160° to 175°F). Steep for 5 to 10 minutes and then enjoy.

Growing Tulsi in the Garden

I recommend tulsi as one of the six healing herbs if you are starting a medicine garden.

The most common variety of tulsi sold and grown in the United States is the Ocimum africanum variety, also known as the temperate tulsi. Being a plant that loves to grow in a hot climate, this variety of tulsi does well in our more temperate areas. However, this variety, though very potent in scent and flavor, is the least medicinal.  

I also grow Krishna (O. tenuiflorum), Rama (O. tenuiflorum) and Vana (O. gratissiumum). These varieties are said to be harder to grow in temperate zones, but being in Zone 6a, I successfully grew all four varieties. They thrive when they have good quality soil and plenty of soil amendments, such as horse and chicken manure mixed into the soil before transplanting.  

All varieties can be started indoors in late winter to early spring and then transplanted after the last frost. All varieties prefer full sun.  Strictly Medicinal offers high-quality tulsi seeds. 

Tulsi is an annual in more temperate climates. If you live in a cooler climate, you can try growing it in a pot and bringing it in for the winter if you have a sunny south-facing window for it. If not, you can simply save the seeds and replant each year, which is what I like to do.

Harvesting, Drying & Saving Seeds

I like to harvest tulsi both before and during the flowering stage. Tulsi will provide two to three harvests before it’s time to let the plant fully flower and then seed. Tulsi is an incredible pollinator food; it is always full of bees and butterflies from the time it flowers to the end of the season.

To dry, I will either hang a small bunch upside down or I will lay the leaves out on a drying rack to air dry. You can also dehydrate at a very low temperature (only in an actual dehydrator, not an oven). When drying herbs, you want to ensure they are not in direct sunlight and have plenty of airflow. Bag or jar up your dried leaves and flowers to use all year long.

Learn more about drying herbs for tea.

I have found that it’s very easy to save your seeds from your tulsi plants simply by allowing the seed pods to dry and brown before cutting the flowering tops from the plant in the Fall. Shake into a bowl or bag, and you have your tiny black seeds. Isn’t it amazing how our plant friends ensure abundance?  

I have a feeling that once you grow tulsi for the first time, you will make a permanent place for her in your garden. She is a valuable medicine and garden ally for certain.

Cautions  
In animal studies, it had an infertility effect, so use during pregnancy is not recommended, just in case.

As with any herb or supplement that is new to you, use your discretion. It is possible to be allergic to any herb or food, so pay attention to how you feel after taking any new herb, including tulsi. I am not a doctor, and nothing in this article is medical advice.  

Ready to grow your own sacred garden? Start with Holy Basil and experience its healing magic—share your favorite way to use Tulsi in the comments!