When is basil season?

When is basil season?

The basil season usually starts in June and ends in September in all US states. In some states the basil season lasts longer, you can find it from May until December in California or between March and November in Florida. In New Mexico and Hawaii, you can find this amazing plant during every season.

Before moving forward with more information about this delicious plant, let´s see its seasonality throughout the United States.

StateBasil in season
AlabamaMay till October
AlaskaJune till October
ArizonaAugust till November
ArkansasMay till October
CaliforniaMay till December
ColoradoJune till September
ConnecticutApril till October
DelawareJuly till September
FloridaMarch till November
GeorgiaMay till September
HawaiiJanuary till December
IdahoMarch till October
IllinoisAugust till October
IndianaJuly till September
IowaJuly till September
Kansasmid-May till October
KentuckyJune till September
LouisianaMay till October
MaineJuly till September
MarylandMay till October
MassachusettsJuly till September
MichiganJuly till September
MinnesotaJuly till September
MississippiMay till October
MissouriJuly till September
MontanaJune till September
NebraskaJuly till September
NevadaMay till October
New HampshireJuly till September
New JerseyJuly till September
New MexicoJanuary till December
New YorkJuly till October
North CarolinaMay till November
North DakotaAugust till September
Ohiomid-July till September
OklahomaJuly till September
OregonJune till November
PennsylvaniaJuly till September
Rhode Islandmid-June till November
South CarolinaMay till September
South DakotaAugust till September
TennesseeMay till November
TexasJune till October
UtahJune till September
VermontJuly till September
VirginiaMay till November
WashingtonJuly till October
West VirginiaJuly till September
WisconsinAugust till September
WyomingJuly till September

Basil is a member of the mint family, and it has multiple varieties, sub-varieties and hybrids. Some of the most popular types of basil include:

  • Sweet Basil, which has a round leaf and is the most popular of all.
  • Lemon Basil is mainly used in poultry and fish dishes and tea.
  • Purple Basil is primarily used as a garnish and steep vinegar or oil.
  • Thai Sweet Basil has small dark leaves and is best served with Asian dishes.

All these varieties have differences in flavors and use, and growing seasons. 

Generally speaking, basil is a warm-weather plant. Basil season usually commences in June and runs all through to September. Still, in warmer places like California, you will find it peaks from as early as May to December. Other warm areas such as New Mexico and Hawaii experience all-year-round basil season. Our detailed chart above shows the basil season in different states.

You will find basil of the best quality and all different varieties in the season. However, when stored in cold storage facilities or refrigerated, its quality decreases tragically; it loses its tasty and aromatic nature. You can also store dried basil, but the product loses its beautiful green color, which usually complements the food you like to garnish. 

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