Lemon Basil 'Mrs Burns' Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Lemon Basil 'Mrs Burns' Seeds — Default Title
Lemon Basil 'Mrs Burns' Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Piccolo Seeds

Lemon Basil 'Mrs Burns' Seeds

Bright lemon flavour that holds up in cooking

£2.99

Sold out. FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Key benefits

  • Bright lemon flavour that holds up in cooking
  • Use in dressings, lemony pesto, fish and baking
  • American heirloom introduced in 1939
  • Grows on a sunny windowsill or in a patio pot
  • Open-pollinated seed with growing instructions

Mrs Burns' is the lemon basil to grow if you want real citrus punch: the scent hits as soon as you brush the leaves. An American heirloom introduced in 1939, it makes a bushy plant of bright, light green leaves with a clean lemon flavour that holds up in cooking. Use it in dressings, with fish and chicken, in a lemony pesto, or chopped into biscuits and cakes. A form of Ocimum basilicum, it grows well on a sunny windowsill or in a pot on the patio.

Sowing and growing

  • Sow indoors March to May at about 18 to 20°C, 0.5 cm deep
  • Germination: 5 to 10 days
  • Move outside in June once nights are frost free, or keep on a bright windowsill
  • Position: full sun, sheltered, in free-draining compost
  • Height: 40 to 60 cm; spread 20 to 40 cm
  • Harvest: pick from about 6 to 8 weeks after sowing; pinch out flower buds to keep the leaves coming
  • Lifecycle: tender annual, killed by frost

What you receive: a packet of open-pollinated Mrs Burns' lemon basil seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Pair it with our Genovese basil seeds for a classic pesto basil, or browse the full range of herb, flower and vegetable seeds.

How to use
  1. Sow indoors March to May at about 18 to 20°C, 0.5 cm deep.
  2. Move outside in June once nights are frost free, or keep on a bright windowsill.
  3. Grow in full sun in free-draining compost.
  4. Pinch out flower buds to keep the leaves coming.
Delivery and returns

Every order is hand-packed and sent with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? You can return unused items within 14 days of delivery. See our returns policy.

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Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I sow lemon basil seeds?

Sow indoors from March to May in a warm room or propagator. Basil needs warmth, so plants only go outside in June when frosts are over. A second sowing in May gives fresh leaves into early autumn.

Can I grow Mrs Burns' lemon basil in a pot?

Yes. A 20 cm pot on a sunny windowsill, balcony or patio suits it well. Water when the surface of the compost feels dry and pinch the tips regularly for a bushier plant.

Is Mrs Burns' a true lemon basil?

It is a selection of sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, with an unusually strong lemon scent, rather than the separate lemon basil species often sold as Ocimum x citriodorum. Gardeners and cooks rate it as one of the most intensely lemony basils available.

What is your returns policy?

Changed your mind? You can return pots, gifts, accessories and other non-plant items. Email hello@growtropicals.com with your order number within 14 days of delivery, then send the item back within 14 days of telling us. You pay the return postage.

Items must come back unused and in their original condition. If an item has been used, we may reduce your refund by the value it has lost, and for used items this can be the full price.

Live plants cannot be returned because you have changed your mind, but they are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

If something arrives damaged, faulty or wrong, email us with your order number and photos and we will put it right at no cost to you. Full details are in our returns policy.

When will my order arrive and how much is shipping?

Choose your delivery speed at checkout. Express orders placed before 1pm are dispatched the same day, otherwise the next working day. Standard orders are dispatched within 2 to 3 working days and Economy orders within 4 to 5 working days. Once dispatched, every order travels by 24 hour tracked courier.

Delivery is free on orders over £60 with Economy, over £100 with Standard and over £150 with Express. Below that, the charge depends on your basket total and is always shown at checkout before you pay. The full price list is in our shipping policy.

Orders without plants are dispatched Monday to Friday. If your order also includes plants, it goes out Monday to Thursday so the plants are not left in the courier network over the weekend. Delivery can take longer at busy times such as Black Friday and Christmas.

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Why Grow Tropicals

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Packed with care

Packed with care

Every order is hand-packed in protective packaging and sent with tracked delivery, so it reaches you in one piece.

Free tracked delivery on orders over £60.

Ready to give

Ready to give

Add a gift message at checkout and we will handwrite it and pack it with your order.

Pair it with a plant for a complete gift.

Easy returns

Easy returns

Changed your mind? Send unused items back within 14 days of delivery and we will refund you.

Full details in our returns policy.

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Lemon Basil 'Mrs Burns' Seeds
£2.99