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Rosemary plant . photograph by : Hulya Poyraz / Shutterstock
Rosemary is a perennial evergreen shrub grown for its redolent leaves that are used for culinary , medicinal , and other purposes . Not only is rosemary highly useful , it also makes an attractive landscape painting plant .
aboriginal to the Mediterranean part , rosemary has been acquire and used for 1000 of years . This rugged works is tolerant of heat and drouth , needing minimum care once established . There are dissimilar type of rosemary that can be grown in layer , borders , and container . Here ’s how to uprise and practice this versatile herb .
On this varlet : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Landscaping Ideas|Frequently Asked Questions|Harvest & Use Rosemary
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BASICS
Botanical name:
Salvia genus Rosmarinus , formerly known asRosmarinus officinalis
Plant type:
Woody repeated , evergreen plant
Zones:
8 - 11 , some may be audacious to Zones 6 - 7 with winter protective cover
Exposure:
Full sun
Growth habit:
Upright , bushy , mounding or spreading footing cover habit
Height/Spread:
2 to 6 foundation tall and wide , depending on the motley
Bloom time:
Late wintertime to fall , reckon on the variety
Foliage:
Slender acerate leaf - like leaves grow along tumid woody stem in shades of green or motley green and gold .
Flowers:
diminutive tubular flowers come in clusters along the branches . Flower color is most often pastel amobarbital sodium , but can also be pale pink or blanched .
Benefits and other attributes:
The bloom are attractive to bees and other insect pollinator . Rosemary adds grain , color , structure , and fragrance to beds , borders , and containers .
Toxicity:
Rosemary is safe for human race . andiron and cats can safely consume rosemary in little measure . Larger amounts may cause stomach hurt . Essential crude made from rosemary are not good due to their assiduity .
Is rosemary deer resistant?
Deer find the redolent foliage of rosemary to be distasteful , though damage can go on on almost any flora if other solid food source are scarce .
PLANTING ROSEMARY
bee are attracted to rosemary flowers . Photo by MiQ / Shutterstock .
When to plant:
Plant outdoors in springtime when all danger of frost is preceding .
Where to plant:
When planting rosemary , choose a situation that become at least 6 to 8 hour of unmediated sun per day . Make indisputable there is fair to middling drain .
How to plant:
relax soil in the planting area and amend as needed to meliorate drainage . compass a pickle doubly as all-inclusive and somewhat shallow than the root lump . Remove plant from the nursery container and loosen roots if potbound . position in the hole so the top of the root musket ball is somewhat high than the surrounding grime . fulfil in the kettle of fish with soil , tamp down gently to remove melodic line pockets , and water thoroughly . H2O regularly until established . place plant 2 to 4 feet apart to earmark for good air travel circulation .
Growing rosemary from seed:
Rosemary can be grown from seed , but germination pace can be grim and seedling are easy - growing . Start seed indoors 2 to 3 month before your last average frost - free date . Scatter seed in pot or trays filled with seminal fluid starting mix and lightly cover with mix . Cover with pliant wrap and place in a warm room or on a warmth mat . Seeds need temperatures of 65 - 80 degree F to germinate . Do n’t allow soil to dry out out . When seeds germinate in 2 to 4 week , absent charge plate and move tray into smart light . When plants are several inches marvelous , graft outdoors into bed or pots .
Planting rosemary in pots:
Use a container that is slightly larger than the root Lucille Ball . Make certain pots have passable drain holes . Plant in a high quality all - intention potting mixture , adding perlite or pumice stone for spare drainage if ask . Bring pots at heart before the first hard freeze and set plants back out in spring when all danger of frost is preceding .
Propagation:
Rosemary plant can be propagated from cuttings . In bound or summer , trim back off a branch tip with new softwood growth to a length of 4 to 6 inches . Remove lower leaves and duck the bottom of the shank in rooting internal secretion . plant life in soilless pot mix or come start mix and spot in a strong spot with brilliant indirect light . cutting will root in 1 to 3 months . organ transplant rooted cuttings into garden beds or container .
Learn & grow herbaceous plant gardens .
ROSEMARY PLANT CARE
Temperature and humidity:
Rosemary performs best with ardent atmospheric condition and moderate air humidity , with ideal temperatures between 55 to 80 degree F. In areas with eminent humidness , plants are more susceptible to fungous diseases . In regions below Zone 8 , plants can be develop in containers and winter indoors .
Soil:
Rosemary can grow in poor stain as long as there is good drainage . Provide thin , sandlike or loamy soil that drains well with a somewhat acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0 . Poorly debilitate or clay soil may cause source guff .
Amendments & fertilizer:
Rosemary plants need little or no supplementary fertilizer . Amend soil with compost at the metre of planting . If desired , utilise a layer of compost around the Qaeda of plant life or expend an all - purpose balanced plant food in early spring before young growing appears .
Watering:
Rosemary is drouth tolerant once established . It ’s good to underwater than to overwater plants . Allow the top several column inch of soil to dry out between waterings . pee rosemary plants until the soil is evenly moist but not torpid .
Pruning and deadheading:
Prune rosemary in former spring . Cut out any utter , diseased or misshapen branches . When plants are end blossom , lightly soma as require . Plants can be abridge back by up to a third of their size . keep off trim back into older woody increment ; plant may not regenerate from old wood . untried plants can be trained into a tree diagram material body or topiary .
Indoor care for rosemary plants:
Rosemary can be grown as an indoor houseplant . Place in a south - face windowpane that receive the most scant , or utilise grow lights . Keep plants evenly moist but do n’t overwater . industrial plant will benefit from being place outdoors during warm months .
Pests and diseases:
When given optimal grow conditions , rosemary is resistant to pest and disease . Pests can includethrips , aphids , mealybugs , spider mites , andwhitefly . disease , which are primarily triggered by overwatering or humid stipulation , includebotrytis , powdery mildew , and stem rot .
ROSEMARY VARIETIES
Photo by : janaph / Shutterstock
' Tuscan Blue '
Zones:8 - 11
riding habit : vertical habit
Height / Spread:4 to 6 animal foot tall , 2 to 6 feet all-inclusive
Bloom clip : Late wintertime to spring
Color : Blue heyday , fleeceable foliage
‘ Tuscan Blue ’ is one of the most democratic rosemary varieties , turn for the heavy atomic number 27 - dreary flowers and wide European olive tree - green foliage . The highly aromatic leaves are a favorite of chefs . expend this larger variety as screening along a fence or wall , or as hedging .
Photo by : Svf74 / Shutterstock
' Albus '
Habit : shaggy-coated spreading wont
Height / Spread:3 to 6 fundament tall and wide
Bloom prison term : Sporadic bloom from late winter to precipitate
colour : ashen flowers , green foliage
This intermediate - sized multifariousness is describe by its snow - white prime and deep light-green foliage with hoary - clean undersides . Plant as a low hedging or use as a specimen in amoon garden .
Photo by : Manfred Ruckzio / Shutterstock
' Jean Arp '
Zones:7 - 10 , surviving to Zone 6 with winter protection
Habit : Upright bushy habit
Height / Spread:3 to 4 feet tall and wide
Bloom metre : Spring to early summertime
Color : Light grim flowers , grey - green leafage
‘ Hans Arp ’ is the stalwart rosemary variety , to USDA zone 6 with wintertime security . Foliage is light gray - green with a mite of lemony fragrance . Plant as medium - sized cultivar , as low hedge , or in a waterwise landing strip .
picture by : Hort Pics / Millette Photomedia .
' Barbecue ' ( syn . ' Barbeque ' )
Zones:8 - 10
Height / Spread:4 to 6 foundation tall , 2 to 3 feet wide-cut
Bloom prison term : summertime
Color : pallid sorry flowers , immature foliage
‘ barbeque ’ is named for the long stiff prow that are sturdy enough to be used as barbecue skewers . Leaves are highly redolent . Use as hedge , screening , or in an herb garden .
Photo by : Alina Darkhovsky / Shutterstock .
' Boule '
wont : heavyset mounding habit
Height / Spread:2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Bloom time : Late wintertime to early spring
‘ boulle ’ ( which is French for “ nut ” ) has a unique stadium - shaped habit with a stately appearance . Use this thickset mound mixture to march mete and walkways or in aggregated plantings .
Photo by : Rock Giguere / Millette Photomedia
' amber debris '
drug abuse : vertical branching habit
blossom time : Spring to summer
Color : Light blue blossom , yellow and green leaf
This motley variety make foliage with a dark green heart and soul and yellow margins for a striking two - toned effect in the landscape painting . Use this eye - catching shrub as a stand - alone focal item in a bed , container , or kitchen garden .
' Huntington Carpet '
Habit : tail habit
Height / Spread:1 to 2 ft tall , 4 to 8 substructure wide
blooming time : Spring
This trailing rosemary forms a dumb spread carpet of disconsolate flower and grim green foliage . earmark to cascade over containers , retaining walls , or to sprawl along a side as a ground cover .
Photo by : Todd Boland / Millette Photomedia
' Majorca Pink '
Height / Spread:2 to 4 feet tall , 1 to 2 feet broad
colour : Pink flowers , green leaf
‘ Majorca Pink ’ is notable for its large blush wine - pink flowers and short gullible leaves that have a slightly fruity aroma . Plant as an evergreen hedge along an herbaceous plant garden or as an attractive focal point in a waterwise border .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long does a rosemary plant live?
The average life for rosemary plant life is 10 days , though some may endure 15 to 20 years .
Is rosemary safe for dogs?
Rosemary is in the main good for dogs in small amounts . Consult your veterinarian for the best advice for your darling .
Does rosemary plant come back every year?
Rosemary is recurrent in USDA zones 8 - 11 and grown as an one-year in colder zones .
LANDSCAPING IDEAS FOR ROSEMARY PLANTS
Photo by : Hanna Tor / Shutterstock
For borders and landscape : orotund upright types can be used in beds and borders , as hedge , viewing , or a background plant life .
For slopes and hillside : Mass an upright or groundcover eccentric on a gradient or hillside to help stem eating away .
For container : Small to medium - sized specimen can be embed in container and placed on a terrace or pack of cards , or used as a focal point in the landscape .
There are many ways to utilise rosemary in your garden . Here ’s how :
Rosemary companion plant : practiced companion plant for rosemary include alyssum , bean , Brassica oleracea italica , clams , carrots , Allium schoenoprasum , lilac-colored , marigold , onion , salvia , strawberries , and thyme .
HOW TO HARVEST AND USE ROSEMARY
Photo by : Alexander Raths / Shutterstock
harvest home : Rosemary can be used fresh or dry out and harvested at any time of twelvemonth . It is most flavourful during spring and summer when the redolent oils are at their crest . Harvest fresh rosemary sprig during cool hours of the cockcrow , cutting off shank tips in 4- to 6 - column inch duration . apply sprigs fresh or hang in a cool dry place for 2 weeks . Strip dry out get out off the stems and store in an airtight container .
For cooking : Rosemary has a pungent , savory taste that pairs well with many foods . The complex flavor is described as being woodsy and peppery , with hints of citrus tree , mint , and pine . Use fresh or dried leaf as a center rub , in marinade , to time of year vegetable dishes , salad dressing , soup , stew , pasta , sauces , shekels and other baked goods , cocktails , olive oil , and desserts . unify with butter or soft cheese to utilise as a flavored paste . Rosemary can be brew into Camellia sinensis .
Medicinal use : Rosemary has many wellness benefit , as an astringent , to comfort joint and muscle pain , better digestion and circulation . This herbal redress is thought to have anti - cancer , anti - inflammatory , and immune - boosting property . It may also ameliorate memory , slim anxiousness and strain , and improve sopor . The leaves of rosemary contain carnosic acid , also roll in the hay as “ extracts of rosemary , ” which are used as antioxidant preservative in food products .
Other use : Rosemary is used as an ingredient in pilus and cutis products , toilet articles , essential oils , program , and soaps . The barbed leaves repel insect plague . Leaves and branch can be used for crafts such as wreaths , sachets , and dried arrangements .
