Tulsi

Ocimum tenuiflorum

Also: Holy basil, Ocimum sanctum, Tulasi

WarmingDryingRelaxing

A sacred basil that lifts the mood and steadies stress.

A shrubby basil smelling of clove, pepper, and mint, kept in courtyard shrines across India. Tulsi is one of the gentlest adaptogens, helping the body meet stress while it lifts the spirits and clears a foggy head.

Energetics: Warming, drying, relaxing
Taste: Aromatic, sweet, pungent, clove-like
Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)
Parts used: Leaves and flowers

Medicinal uses 7

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Traditional useLab and mechanism studiesClinical studies

Anxiety & stressTLC
Takes the edge off chronic stress and the cravings that ride with it.
Low moodTLC
Lifts low moods, especially when tension and stagnation feed them.
Focus & brain fogTLC
Clears brain fog and sharpens focus.
Blood sugar balanceTLC
Helps steady blood sugar and sugar cravings.
Colds & fluTLC
A warming, diffusive tea for colds, and a prevention pair with elderberry.
Exhaustion & burnoutTLC
A gentle adaptogen for the long haul of stress.
Frequent colds & low immunityTLC
Daily tulsi raised immune markers in a small trial of healthy adults.

Preparations

A daily tea, tincture, and fresh leaves.

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Cautions

Tulsi can amplify blood-sugar-lowering medications; monitor closely.
Animal studies show reduced fertility during use; avoid while trying to conceive.
It has a mild blood-thinning effect.

Medication interactions

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Pregnancy & breastfeeding

PregnancyCulinary only

Animal studies show anti-fertility effects, and its eugenol thins the blood near delivery. An occasional culinary leaf differs from medicinal doses, which wait until after pregnancy.

BreastfeedingCulinary only

Occasional culinary use is generally considered compatible; avoid medicinal doses.

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Folklore

In Hindu tradition tulsi is a form of the goddess Lakshmi and beloved of Vishnu, and many homes keep a plant in a raised courtyard shrine, the tulsi vrindavan, circled with prayers each day. Every autumn the festival of Tulsi Vivah celebrates the plant's ceremonial wedding to Vishnu, and prayer beads are turned from its wood. Households tell apart green Rama tulsi, purple Krishna tulsi, and wild Vana tulsi.

How to grow

A tender perennial grown as a summer annual outside the tropics. Sow seed indoors and plant out once nights stay above 50°F (10°C), in full sun. Pinch the flower spikes for more leaves, or let some bloom for the bees.

In the wild

Native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, now grown and naturalized throughout the tropics in gardens, temple grounds, and disturbed ground.

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