Yesterday we were clearing out an area that used to be home to “Urb Farm,” a community activity that focused on helping people to grow plants in urban environments. One of the plants has an amazing smell - very much like cloves. I’m guessing that it may be a descendant of something Urb Farm used to grow, and it is probably edible. But when I Google “plants that smell like clove” none of the suggested candidates are similar.
Unfortunately the cuttings sat in a hot car for hours and wilted terribly - I have reconstituted a leaf and some buds as best I could, but that’s why the photo is of something wilted in water.
(Oh, this is on Hawai’i Island, in case it matters.)
Hmm… sort of? When I cut a stem to take a look, I think the act of cutting may have distorted the shape a little. (The sample is quite wilted.)
Basil seems like a good guess, and I have a feeling that may end up being the answer. However, I have grown many varieties of basil and I’ve never seen one like this - the leaves are larger/longer/narrower/far more toothy. Also, for a Thai basil I would expect a hint of purple, whereas this has no purple at all.
I’ve contacted the Urb Farm guy, maybe he can tell me!
Update: The Urb Farm guy got back to me and thinks it is clove basil.
It matches up pretty well, especially the lack of purple, although the leaves in the picture in the link don’t look as long and toothy as the sample I have. Still, it’s a pretty good match.
He says it grows well from cuttings - I hope so as we’re going to put it all over the yard.
I’ve not grown this plant, but generally members of the mint family are pretty aggressive spreaders. Unless you really mean you want it all over your yard, keep in mind that once it gets going you may need to corral it away from any flower beds or shrubs.
Thanks for the tip! The “yard” in question is about 3 acres of semi-wild tropical growth ranging from palm and fruit trees (including star fruit, durian, jaboticaba, rambutan, avocado, and several citrus varieties) to bat flowers, orchids, ferns, sweet potatoes, hundreds of varieties of anthuriums, and whatever other plants have decided to take up residence on the property (including a couple of other basil varieties). So if the clove basil does spread aggressively, it will be a welcome addition to the existing profusion of fragrances, edibles, and ornamentals.
(I can’t believe how lucky I am to live where I do.)
You’re so lucky!
I wondered whether you had any Hawaiian ginger, white or yellow, but googling it shows that they’re considered invasive weeds and are common on roadsides. It’s been years and years since I’ve seen one in bloom since I live in the northeast US. I had one as a pot plant that never bloomed
None on the property that I know of, but that plant is everywhere - I see it on hikes or along the roadside all the time.
I agree - I’m lucky. I can’t quite believe how beautiful it is here. Sometimes I miss extravagant New England fall foliage, the smell of snow about to fall, or the sheer joy of intellectual possibility that accompanies a walk around Harvard Square or many places in Boston and Cambridge … but not THAT much!
