Holy basil (tulsi) is not a single plant. The name covers a small group of plants spanning three species in the genus Ocimum, plus several cultivars within the main one, each with its own leaf colour, scent and way of growing. At La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer, our certified Organic herb farm in Charlevoix, Québec, we have grown three of them in the field, and they turned out to be more different than any seed catalogue suggested.
This guide sorts out the main types of tulsi, which species each belongs to, and how they compare in the hand and in the drying room. For how holy basil differs from the sweet basil in your kitchen, see our companion guide to holy basil vs basil, and for preparations and traditional uses, our guide to tulsi benefits and how to use it.
What Is Tulsi (Holy Basil)?
Tulsi is an aromatic tender perennial subshrub in the mint family (Lamiaceae), grown for its leaves and small flower spikes. Holy basil, sacred basil and tulsi basil are all English names for it; tulsi (from the Sanskrit tulasī) is the name used across India and in Ayurvedic herbalism. Health Canada's monograph for holy basil leaf lists Ocimum tenuiflorum as the proper name, with holy basil, Rama tulsi, sacred basil and tulsi as common names.
The plants sold as tulsi belong to three species:
- Ocimum tenuiflorum: the species behind Rama, Krishna and Amrita tulsi, and what herbal monographs mean by holy basil. Ocimum sanctum is another botanical name for the same species, so a label reading "sanctum" and one reading "tenuiflorum" describe the same plant.
- Ocimum gratissimum: Vana tulsi, also called clove basil, tree basil or African basil. A taller, semi-woody species native to India and East Africa.
- Ocimum × africanum: Temperate Tulsi, often sold as Kapoor. Botanical databases list it as a hybrid of sweet basil and American basil, the same name that covers lemon basil.
All of them share tulsi's broad reputation. A 2017 systematic review of human studies notes that laboratory, animal and human research attests to tulsi having adaptogenic and antimicrobial actions, among others.
Is Tulsi a Perennial?
In its native tropical range, tulsi is a tender perennial. In a cold climate like ours it cannot survive winter outdoors, so we grow every type as an annual, started in the greenhouse and transplanted onto black plastic in June; our guide to growing tulsi covers the method.
Tulsi in Ayurveda
In Ayurvedic tradition, tulsi is a sacred plant, kept in homes and near temples, and regarded as a rasayana, a rejuvenative herb. It is mentioned by Charaka in the Charaka Samhita, one of Ayurveda's foundational texts, and Health Canada's monograph records its traditional Ayurvedic uses for coughs and colds and as a digestive aid.
Modern herbal writing often gives each variety an energetic profile, such as Rama cooling and Krishna warming. We have not found those pairings in the classical texts, so read them as contemporary guidance.
The Main Types of Tulsi
Below are the five types most often grown and sold, with field notes on the three we have grown.
Rama Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Rama tulsi is the most widely grown type in India and the one most people meet first. Strictly Medicinal Seeds describes it as purple-stemmed with green leaves, sometimes tinted purple, reddish-purple flowers and an open form up to about four feet. It tests high in both eugenol (the main aroma compound in clove) and rosmarinic acid.
- Green leaves, purple-tinged stems, reddish-purple flower spikes
- Warm, sweet, clove-like aroma
- Compact to medium, bushy; reliable as an annual
Rama is our 2026 crop and the best grower of the three for us, a little taller than the Amrita. Grégoire, who runs our fields, describes it this way: "The stems are more reddish than green. The leaves are smaller than the other variety that we had." Its scent, he says, is "stronger than the Vana," and "if we had more rain in the summer and a little bit more heat, we probably had more yield." When a buyer in Québec City asked him for "the purple tulsi," this was the plant he meant.
Krishna Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Krishna, also called Shyama tulsi, is the same species as Rama but a darker cultivar. Its leaves open green and mature to a mottled purple on purple stems, and its scent is spicier and more peppery than Rama's. In Strictly Medicinal Seeds' published comparison, Krishna tested highest in rosmarinic acid, roughly double the Rama figure, with slightly lower eugenol.
- Green leaves maturing to a mottled purple; purple stems
- Spicy, peppery aroma
- Tropical in habit; more demanding than Temperate Tulsi in cool gardens
Krishna is less common commercially than Rama. We have not grown it yet.
Amrita Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Amrita is often described online as a Krishna × Vana hybrid. It isn't. Amrita is a Rama-type cultivar of Ocimum tenuiflorum, originally from Amritapuri in Kerala, southern India. Strictly Medicinal Seeds describes it as more vigorous than standard Rama, globe-shaped and almost red when mature and flowering; after testing both, they found the two chemically virtually identical and now sell Amrita seed under the Rama name. The name comes from the Sanskrit amṛta, the nectar of immortality.
- Green leaves with purple highlights; reddish stems and flowers
- Sweet, fruity, resinous aroma in our experience
- Described as vigorous; for us it stayed small
We grew Amrita in 2025, and it gave 14.9 kg of dried leaf from plants that stayed small. What it lacked in size it made up in scent. "That one was amazing," Grégoire says. "It had a fruity smell," and "it smells like in the church, incense." For scent, "Amrita was the best for me."
Vana Tulsi (Ocimum gratissimum)
Vana is a different species entirely, Ocimum gratissimum, also known as clove basil, tree basil or African basil. It has large, softly hairy, toothed leaves and a semi-woody habit, and Strictly Medicinal Seeds notes it can reach five feet even grown as an annual in the north. It is usually described as clove-scented and tested highest of the group in eugenol in their comparison.
- Large, light green, toothed leaves; green stems
- Pale, whitish flower spikes
- Tall and semi-woody; the biggest plant of the group
We grew Vana alongside the Amrita in 2025, and it made our tallest, most productive stand. Grégoire remembers it as the one "that made a white flower, with green stem and bigger leaves," and asked how it smelled, his answer was one word: "Lighter." That fits the research: O. gratissimum oil varies a great deal from strain to strain, with eugenol-rich, thymol-rich and other chemical types documented, so two stands of Vana can smell quite different.
Temperate Tulsi / Kapoor (Ocimum × africanum)
Often sold as Kapoor tulsi, though that name is regarded as a misnomer: Strictly Medicinal Seeds ran a genetic analysis on the plant sold under it and confirmed it as Ocimum africanum, the sweet basil and American basil hybrid that also covers lemon basil. Some sellers still label it O. tenuiflorum or O. sanctum, which it is not.
- Small leaves, purple flowers; globe-shaped, a foot or two tall
- Sweet, "tutti-frutti" fragrance, very different from the clove notes of Rama and Vana
- Shortest season, most frost-hardy; bolts fast and self-seeds, rare among basils
For a cool, short-season garden it is the easiest of the group. We have not grown it.
Comparing the Varieties
A quick reference for how the main tulsi varieties differ, and which ones we have grown:
| Variety | Species | Leaf and stem | Scent | Growth habit | On our farm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rama | O. tenuiflorum | Green leaves, purple-tinged stems | Warm, sweet, clove-like | Bushy, medium; dependable | 2026 crop; best grower, stronger scent than our Vana |
| Krishna | O. tenuiflorum | Mottled purple leaves, purple stems | Spicy, peppery | Tropical; more demanding in cool gardens | Not yet grown |
| Amrita | O. tenuiflorum | Green with purple highlights, reddish stems | Fruity, incense-like (our field) | Described as vigorous and globe-shaped | 2025 crop, 14.9 kg dried; best scent, stayed small |
| Vana | O. gratissimum | Large, toothed, light green leaves; green stems | Usually clove-rich; lighter in our stand | Tall, semi-woody, to 5 ft | 2025 crop; tallest, most productive |
| Temperate (Kapoor) | O. × africanum | Small leaves, purple flowers | Sweet, tutti-frutti | Short, fast to flower, self-seeds | Not grown |
Choosing the Right Tulsi for You
For most people new to tulsi, Rama is the place to start: widely available, balanced in the cup, and the type most herbal monographs have in mind. Our tulsi tea brewing guide covers how to brew it. For a spicier, darker cup, look for Krishna; Amrita drinks much like Rama but is worth seeking out for its fragrance.
If you are choosing tulsi to grow, Temperate Tulsi is the most forgiving in a short season, Rama is the dependable middle, and Vana gives you the most plant if you have the room. Whichever you choose, Health Canada's monograph advises against using holy basil during pregnancy and recommends asking a health care practitioner first if you are breastfeeding, have a heart condition or diabetes, or take heart or blood pressure medication.
Tulsi at La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer
We grew Vana and Amrita side by side in 2025 and Rama in 2026, each started in the greenhouse, transplanted onto black plastic in June and harvested at flower in August for drying. The species on the seed packet decided how tall the stand grew, and the cultivar decided how the drying room smelled.
Buyers in Québec sometimes ask us for Ocimum sanctum by name; that is the same species as our Rama. If you would like to try the Rama we grow, harvest and dry ourselves, our Organic Tulsi Rama is available in sizes from 50 g up to 1 kg.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all types of tulsi the same species?
No. The plants commonly called tulsi span three species. Rama, Krishna and Amrita are all cultivars of Ocimum tenuiflorum. Vana is a separate species, Ocimum gratissimum. Temperate Tulsi, often sold as Kapoor, is Ocimum × africanum, a hybrid of sweet basil and American basil.
Is Ocimum sanctum the same as Ocimum tenuiflorum?
Yes. Ocimum sanctum is another botanical name for Ocimum tenuiflorum, long used in herbal literature, and botanical databases list it as a synonym. A product labelled Ocimum sanctum and one labelled Ocimum tenuiflorum are the same species of holy basil.
Is Amrita tulsi a hybrid of Krishna and Vana?
No. Amrita is a Rama-type cultivar of Ocimum tenuiflorum, originally from Amritapuri in Kerala, southern India. Strictly Medicinal Seeds found Amrita and Rama chemically virtually identical and now sells Amrita seed under the Rama name.
Is Kapoor tulsi the same as Rama?
No. Kapoor is a name widely used for Temperate Tulsi, Ocimum × africanum, a different species from Rama, Krishna and Amrita, which are all Ocimum tenuiflorum. Temperate Tulsi is smaller, faster to flower and more frost-hardy than Rama, with a sweet, fruity scent.
Which tulsi has the strongest scent?
It depends on the nose and the strain. In published comparisons, Vana tests highest in eugenol, the clove compound, while Temperate Tulsi has a fruity scent with little eugenol. In our own field, Amrita had the most striking fragrance, fruity and incense-like, and our Rama was stronger than our Vana.
Can I grow tulsi in a cold climate?
Yes, as an annual. None of the tulsi species survive winter outdoors in a climate like Quebec's, but all of them can be grown as annuals when started indoors and transplanted once the soil has warmed. Temperate Tulsi is the most frost-hardy, and Vana grew into our tallest stand on black plastic in Charlevoix.
Want to learn more? Check out our other guides on tulsi:
- Holy Basil vs Basil: How Tulsi and Common Basil Differ
- Tulsi Benefits and How to Use the Queen of Herbs
- How to Grow Tulsi in a Short Northern Season
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