MRS. BURNS LEMON BASIL

Ocimum basilicum var. citriodorum (Ocimum x citriodorum)

An incredible lemon flavored basil. Not subtle in the least. First offered to gardeners by Native Seeds/SEARCH, the story of this powerfully fragrant basil gives credence to the importance of seed stewardship:

“The story of Mrs. Burns’ Famous Lemon Basil serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of heirloom crops to extinction. This basil was stewarded by Janet Ann Burns, mother of Barney T. Burns, who was one of the founders of Native Seeds/SEARCH.

In 1951, Janet and Barney moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico, where Janet started a backyard garden. She met a local lady, Mrs. Clifton, who was a legendary gardener in the area. Mrs. Clifton gifted Janet some lemon basil seeds, which she had been saving since the 1920's and apparently grew very well in Carlsbad. This basil became a firm favorite in Janet’s garden and was much used in her cooking. When Barney moved away to study at the University of Arizona in 1963, he brought some of his Mom’s special basil seed to experiment with. The basil did well and Barney began his own seed collection.

Many years later, Janet and Mrs. Clifton lost all their basil plants in a late frost, and had no seed in reserve. Barney, having saved seeds from his basil, was able to replenish their supply. Had Barney not saved his seeds, this unique variety of basil may have become extinct. When Native Seeds/SEARCH was founded in 1983, Mrs. Burns’ Famous Lemon Basil was one of the first seeds to be added to the collection, and is now enjoyed by gardeners all over the United States and further afield."

Native Seeds/SEARCH is a fantastic resource for heirloom seeds, especially for gardeners in the American Southwest. We offer this now very popular basil as an homage to their ongoing work to preserve many valuable and endangered varieties.

Packet contains at least 100 seeds.