What does the cryptic crossword clue "Source of herb, green it’s said, essential … (5)" mean?

The definition is "essential …". The wordplay uses a homophone (sounds like). Sounds like (it’s said) ‘bay’ – source of herb) + ‘sick’ (green) – I think The answer is BASIC.

Source of herb, green it’s said, essential … (5)

Guardian Cryptic #29683 | 11 Across | 2025-05-01 flower

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