Aurelia

Renee's Garden introduced 'Aurelia' in 2015 as a Bolognese basil, an exclusive strain obtained from an Italian seed grower who produces it for home gardeners around Bologna rather than for the export trade. It is sweet basil at heart but with a noticeably spicier undertone than a standard Genovese, and the plants branch early into heavy sprays instead of running up a single dominant stem. Gardenerd's 2015 variety trial in Southern California grew it both in the ground and in a hanging Woolly Pocket planter and rated it prolific in both, noting tall stems and heavy leaf production. Packets run about 1.75 g, roughly 700 seeds, which makes it an inexpensive way to plant a full pesto row.