Basil Cross Volunteer
This little guy is a volunteer that has appeared at the edge of our patio. Last year we had a couple of large basil plants next to this spot; I believe Large Leaf Italian and Genovese. Across the patio a fairly nice specimen of Opal was thriving in a pot of Thyme.
My guess is that this is what results when the bumble bees stop by the opal and then move over to the large leafed plant.
This has earned its place for a couple reasons.
First, it is a volunteer. (I leave just about all volunteers where they spring up, including basil, arugula, and cilantro. Why not, they have shown themselves to be hardy and healthy without any tending or prep by me.)
Second, it is a freak and freaks/mutants are always welcome behind the fence. š
This is what opal looks like as it starts to get a useful size:
Behind cohutt's fence 
How does it taste?!
LOL not sure yet because we haven’t picked the first leaf yet. But seriously, have you EVER tasted a bad basil?
Now that you mention it, no!
mrs cohutt an I noticed these tonight during a wander around before dinner. Basil is on the menu this weekend one way or another:
Oops no pic. See follow up post in 10 min
Interesting mix. I’ve not even heard of Opal basil before this. Aside from what the cross will taste like, does opal taste markedly different from the green basil I’m used to?
A little but similar
Excellent Bruce!. I had a few hot pepper volunteers that I dug up and kept. The buggers are doing better than the coddled seeds
I hear you. I haven’t sown cherry tomato seeds in years, same for parsley and cilantro., I just let some go to seed for collections and wait too late then end up spilling some in the process.
I saw your photo before reading and assumed I was going to be reading about some dreadful fungus. Glad it’s just a scary mutant š Enjoy it!
You post comments at lunch there and I miss them because it is midnight here lol. Well , we do have dreadful fungi here, the best (and harmless other than looking exactly as it is named), is “dog vomit slime mold”. Google it. Absolutely instantly nasty. (Actually slime mold isn’t a fungus is it? Close enough tho haha)
I did look it up and it does exist and it does look like dog vomit – go figure, I learned something new (and totally useless) today. Thanks (I think) for enlightening me.
Love me some freaks! Freak on
Lol