Basil plants flower?

My basil has been growing like crazy although the stalks have turned dark. I am not sure what that means, but the top of one of them has started to flower. I am guessing that this is normal, but don't know what I should do about it. Can I snip off the top and try to get it to grow roots? Is that something that can even be done with basil? I still have so much to learn, and it is so embarrassing asking questions that I think may be dumb in the presence of so many great gardeners. Seriously, some of your gardens are amazing, and I can only hope to have a fraction of that one day!

 

Basil plants will die after flowering, so I usually harvest the tips just as the tops are budding. Some flowers I leave to make seeds for next year. I have never had success with rooting basil cuttings in water, but many people I know have so it is worth a try. The black marks on the trunk may not be a problem, but maybe due to lots of cold and humidity, it is a sign of autumn.

 

Beth, it's nice to hear from a fellow basil lover! The stems are darkening because your basil is getting old--it's an annual and approaching the end of its life cycle. I don't let my basil flower--it changes the taste slightly. I have had good luck taking new (green stem) stems and placing them in a 50/50 mix of vermiculite and perlite, keeping the mix damp, and in a couple of weeks putting the now rooted cuttings in soil.

 

After 40+ years I still have to ask some questions ! I would take the cuttings as MG said and go ahead and harvest the leaves to use in the winter ! Basil is so easy from seed that it may be better to just start another pot for use in the winter ! If you are in a temperate zone your basil will reseed itself if you just leave it alone ! Mine usually do but the second year is usually the last time it will do this !