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EmailBotanical name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Plant type: Herb
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6, 7, 8, 9
Sun exposure: Full Sun
Rosemary is a perennial evergreen shrub with blue flowers. It is a pungent and distinctive plant with a sweet, resinous flavor. Rosemary is ideal for a rock garden or the top of a dry wall. It is used for poultry, lamb, stews, and soups.
Planting
- For a head start, plant the seeds or cuttings indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost.
- Plant the seeds/cuttings in well-drained soil. For best growth, the soil should be around 70ºF.
- Be sure to give your plants enough room to grow. Rosemary grows to about 4 feet tall and spreads about 4 feet as well.
- In the garden, plant near beans, cabbage, carrots, and sage.
Care
- After the plant flowers, remember to trim the plant.
- For fresh rosemary in the winter, grow the plant indoors in a pot. Be sure to put it in bright light and cool temperatures.
- Prune regularly so that the plant won't get lanky.
- Water the plants evenly throughout the growing season.
- Be sure to get cuttings or divide the plant for next season.
Pests
- Aerial blight
- Bacterial leaf spots
- Several types of root rot
Harvest/Storage
- Prune the stems to use fresh. During the winter, bring a rosemary plant indoors.
- You can dry the leaves as well and store in an airtight container.
Recipes
Wit & Wisdom
Drink rosemary tea to enhance your memory.
Comments
Rosemary Overwinter tips
Put a layer of good straw down on top of the rosemary plant.. along with a few shovels full of compost along the edges around the plant.. the straw acts like a blanket and helps to hold in some heat around the plants' crown..once it snows you can do nothing more... snow insulates the plant from the real killer in winter the dry wind...
the compost holds the straw in place and gives some added "heat" but also will give the rosemary a jump start once the snow melts...
rosemary not always evergreen
Rosemary doesn't overwinter here in Illinois. It seems like it's going to be able to winter over, but in the spring dies off from the roots up. My daughter grows it year around in North Carolina, though. And I NEVER have had luck growing it indoors, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
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