Wild Basil

Clinopodium vulgare

Pollinator Value

🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Osmia calaminthae
S17 Osmia (Melanosmia) calaminthae specialist on Clinopodium, FL, Rare
❄️ Winter Food Source: Seeds consumed by Mourning Dove (29.6% occurrence in diet) and Common Ground Dove (10.1% occurrence). Mourning Dove overwinters in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and may forage on persistent nutlets held in dried calyces into early winter.
S57

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Secure in Ontario (S5) but Vulnerable in Quebec (S3), suggesting the species is at its range margin in the province. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Nationally ranked N5 in Canada (G5 globally). The S3 rank in Quebec may reflect limited habitat availability in the predominantly forested landscape.
S22 ranks; S26 not SARA listed
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Inhabits dry sandy or rocky clearings, forest edges, roadsides, old fields, and open grasslands, especially on calcareous soils. Frequently found in grassy clearings within deciduous or pine forest and savanna. In the Gatineau area, specimens have been collected in alvar fringes and herbaceous openings, consistent with its preference for well-drained, shallow soils over limestone or sandstone bedrock.
S7 habitats; S6 calcareous soils; S48 Aylmer alvar specimen

Roles: Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 51 bee associations (threshold=3)]

Category: Astringent, Cardiotonic, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Expectorant
S29
Notes: Traditionally used as an aromatic, astringent, cardiotonic, carminative, diaphoretic, and expectorant herb. An infusion of the plant helps overcome weak digestion. Used in European herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory. Medicinal rating 1/5 (PFAF).
S29 medicinal uses; S61 anti-inflammatory use

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Leaves used fresh or dried as a flavouring in cooked foods or fresh in salads. A sweet and aromatic herb tea is made from the fresh leaves. Milder than commercial basils (Ocimum spp.) but historically used as a seasoning herb.
S29 edible parts=leaves, condiment, tea; S4 seasoning use