Variety field guide
What to expect from Red Rubin Basil
Red Rubin is an annual basil selection grown for fresh leaves, tea or culinary use, pollinator flowers, containers, and seed saving.
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A deep red beauty with bold basil flavor. ‘Red Rubin’ combines the vigor of modern breeding with the old-world charm of purple basil, producing broad, ruffled leaves of dark burgundy that glisten in sunlight. The flavor is rich, slightly aniseed, and unmistakably sweet-excellent for pesto, infused oils, and herbal vinegar where color and taste both shine. The leaves hold their color longer than most purple varieties, making ‘Red Rubin’ prized for both culinary and ornamental use.
Minimum seeds per packet: 500 seeds.
About Red Rubin
Red Rubin is an annual selection of basil, with an upright/erect habit and an expected height or spread of 19–24 in. It is best suited to fresh leaves, tea or culinary use, pollinator flowers, containers, and seed saving. Notable traits include red coloring; harvest leafy tips before heavy flowering; allow selected plants to flower fully for seed; aromatic leaves shaped by the named basil type.
Keep field notes on Red Rubin so its performance can be compared with other basil selections under the same planting date and care.
History and provenance
Cultivated basils include multiple Ocimum species and hybrids selected across Africa and Asia for fragrance, culinary use, devotional practice, leaf form, and ornamental color. Sweet basil, holy basil, clove basil, and lemon basil are not automatically interchangeable, even when all are sold under the common word basil. Red Rubin Basil Red Rubin Basil is a modern refinement of the ancient purple basils that once adorned Mediterranean gardens and royal herb plots. Developed in Denmark in the 1990s, it was bred for deeper color, uniformity, and a stronger, sweeter aroma than earlier purple types. Its lineage, however, reaches back to the traditional sweet basils of southern Europe, where purple-leaved strains were prized not only for flavor but also for beauty and symbolism. Throughout history, purple basil varieties were associated with nobility, vitality, and protection. In Italy and Greece, they were often planted near doorways as both ornament and charm, believed to bring good fortune to the home. Red Rubin carried that old-world spirit into the modern era, marrying tradition with horticultural precision to create a plant equally suited for cuisine and ornamental display. Originating from Danish breeding lines in the 1990s, it refined the heritage of ‘Dark Opal’ into a more productive and colorful form. A showpiece basil that brings beauty, scent, and classic Mediterranean flavor in equal measure.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Ocimum basilicum L. |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity | 60-69 Days |
| Germination | 5-10 Days at 70–85 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/8 in |
| Plant height / spread | 19–24 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 10 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Red Rubin from seed
Sow 1/8 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 5-10 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 70–85 °F. Germination preparation: Use a fine, evenly moist seed-starting mix or prepared seedbed. Light requirement: Light aids germination; barely cover. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during late Spring and provide full sun. Space plants 10 in apart with 18 in between rows. Use loamy with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Tender. Medium to large container or in-ground bed; avoid crowding
Harvest and use
Approximately 60-69 Days, from transplanting to the first substantial leaf harvest. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest leafy tips before heavy flowering; allow selected plants to flower fully for seed. Uses: Fresh leaves, tea or culinary use, pollinator flowers, containers, and seed saving. Flavor: aromatic leaves shaped by the named basil type. Seed saving: Open-pollinated herb or leafy crop. Best uses include fresh leaves, tea or culinary use, pollinator flowers, containers, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: aromatic leaves shaped by the named basil type.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Red Rubin plants that match the expected upright/erect habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Open-pollinated herb or leafy crop. Compatible plants of the same species may cross to varying degrees through insects or wind. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Allow selected plants to pass the eating stage and reach full botanical seed maturity. Harvest only when seed heads, pods, or fruits have matured enough for sound seed development. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, slugs, damping-off, root rot, and leaf diseases under humid crowded conditions. Management: Provide airflow, drainage, moderate fertility, careful watering, and clean harvest practices. Contain spreading mints where needed. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Red Rubin
When is Red Rubin ready? Use 60-69 Days. Approximately 60-69 Days, from transplanting to the first substantial leaf harvest. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 5-10 Days at about 70–85 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 19–24 in with an upright/erect habit. Space plants 10 in apart and rows 18 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Medium to large container or in-ground bed; avoid crowding Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Open-pollinated herb or leafy crop. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
