Prior to this morning, I didn't even know there was any moringa threads on here. I started 8 seeds purchased on Ebay last September here in Riverside county between Temecula and Hemet. They all sprouted in ground. Two on one end of the hedge bed thrived and got about 3' tall prior to cold weather. The others stayed small, but alive. This spring the two on one end took off like rockets and are now 8' tall and full of flowers. I will say they are on drip systems, and get about 1 hours drip every other day. We plan to hedge ours for easy harvest of leaves and pods, so they will grow no higher than 8' tall. We discovered why the others didn't grow. There is a giant boulder about 6" below the dirt, so no place for their roots. They are still alive, but only 12" tall. I read that the Moringa Stenopetala has bigger leaves and tastes better, so we recently planted seeds of that variety in a different spot on our property. This morning one has sprouted. It's very cute and green and has it's own dripper, which we will turn off once it's established. That variety stores water in it's bulbous trunk and is very drought resistant, which is great in drought conditions here in Southern California. I will say it is very hot here in summer, and in the winter it can snow, but it never sticks. The trees do get set back in winter, but they spring up again when the weather warms.

Just an update - seed greed won out. I ordered the complete echinacea set and a few other goodies. I kept reading up on all of the different echinacea species and they all fill slightly different growing niches. Augustifolia has a really long tap root and needs constant moisture during the germination - once I save enough seed from it that makes it a good plant to sow high up on our hills where it's all clay and rock. The soil there is baked dry and cement-like except when it's gooey during the occasional rainy winter - perfect for a long tap rooted plant. Sow it during a moist year and that root should help it survive the dry years. Purpurea is fibrous rooted and likes a bit of shade - perfect for the section of woods we were clearing yesterday. What I'll do is garden grow all of the species and then save all of the seeds as a mix for direct sowing out in goatland. The variety of growing conditions out there will favor some species in one place and different species in others. So here's the list of what I ended up ordering: Echinacea Set (9 seed packets): angustifolia, atrorubens, laevigata, pallida, paradoxa, purpurea, sanguinea, simulata & tennesseensis Skullcap seed set (4 seed packets): Baical, Barbat, Downy, Official Sarsaparilla, Wild (Aralia nudicaulis) Persimmon, Wild Form (Diospyros virginiana) seeds Persimmon, Lotus (Diospyros lotus) seeds Bergamot, Lemon (Monarda citriodora)seeds Tulsi, Rama Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) seeds, organic Horehound, White (Marrubium vulgare)seeds, organic Cordao (Leonotis nepetaefolia) seeds, organic Looks like I need to stay off of that "all done buying seeds" thread for a while! Lynda

Or from Richters. If you search for 'sacred basil', you'll turn up a couple of recent discussions about this herb, including sources for it.

Tulsi is Holy or Sacred Basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum/O. sanctum. It's wild form is O. gratissimum. It's an annual, and it does best in temperature climates (think India). It is so different from sweet basil in appearance and aroma that you have to look closely at the flowers to see the connection. It has a luscious, musky odour that penetrates the air and clings to hands and clothing when touched. The wide growing plants can reach 60cm in height and an even larger width. Their arching branches are covered with narrow, fuzzy, grey-green leaves. In the summer, they produce many rough spikes of dull, bronzy lavender-white flowers that yield enormous amounts of seeds. Medicinal Uses: Used internally for feverish conditions (especially in children), colds, flu, sinusitis, headaches, rheumatism, arthritis, abdominal distension and cramps, poor libido, and melancholy. Used externally for skin infections, acne abrasions or insect bits and stings. Seeds are made into tonics and have same uses as Sweet Basil (O. basilicum). May prevent peptic ulcers and other stress related conditions such as high blood pressure, colitis and asthma. Sow the seeds in early spring indoors or in the greenhouse for an early start, or seed directly in the spring or summer garden. Sow seeds just under the surface of the soil and press in firmly. Keep watered and warm until germination, which occurs within 1-2 weeks. Prefers full sun, rich soil, and plenty of water. Here is a link that might be useful: Tulsi