Italian Genovese Organic

Genovese is the basil of Liguria and the variety the pesto tradition is built around; Botanical Interests ties it directly to the Genoa area of Italy, and Renee's Garden sells this certified-organic strain as an Italian heirloom. It is an open-pollinated population rather than a modern hybrid, and Johnny's is candid that it can present some variability in leaf shape and plant size, steering greenhouse and hydroponic growers toward more uniform modern lines while keeping Genovese as the field and garden standard. The leaf is the identifying feature: roughly 3 inches long, dark, glossy and almond-shaped, cupping slightly as it sizes up. It bolts relatively slowly for a sweet basil, which is much of why it has held its place in commerce while flashier types came and went. The word Organic in the variety name refers to certified seed production, not to a separate genetic line.