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How to Grow Rosemary: Planting, Pruning, and Harvesting This Hardy Herb

green rosemary bush, many branches are randomly arranged. fresh seasoning
Image Credit:
Andrei Metelev
Botanical Name
Salvia rosmarinus (aka Rosmarinus officinalis)
Grown as
Tender Perennial
USDA Zones
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
10a
10b
11a
11b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Low
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Alkaline
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Blue
Purple
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Disease-Resistant
Erosion Control
Evergreen
Fragrant
Low Maintenance
Winter Interest
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Drought-Tolerant
Heat-Tolerant
Salt Tolerant
Plant Type
Herbs
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Looking to add some flavor to your garden and your dinner? Rosemary’s got you covered. This hardy herb is an overachiever of the plant world—aromatic, drought-tolerant, bee-friendly, and stylish enough to double as landscaping. 

Whether you’re planting it in pots or the ground, we’ll show you how to grow, prune, and harvest rosemary like a seasoned pro!

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a compact, small to medium-sized woody shrub; there’s also a trailing variety. This shrubby herb is a type of sage and grows well with other Mediterranean herbs, such as lavender and thyme. It has lovely blue flowers as well, attracting pollinators!

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Drought-tolerant, rosemary grows best in warm areas, similar to its native shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In these conditions, rosemary can grow into a shrub 5 to 10 feet in height. Rosemary grows so vigorously in ideal conditions that it needs yearly pruning to keep it bushy.

This herb can be grown in the ground or in a pot. If you live in Zones 7 and warmer, it grows easily as a perennial evergreen shrub that lives for many years. Rosemary is hardy down to 15° to 23°F (-10° to -5°C), so it may need winter protection. In colder areas, rosemary should be grown in a pot and brought indoors for the winter.

When growing rosemary as a culinary herb, it’s best to harvest it in the spring and summer when it’s actively putting on new growth. Rosemary is a compact woody shrub. While all the leaves are technically edible, we usually only eat the tender leaves that form at the tips of new branches.

Planting

Plant in full sun in fast-draining soil; rosemary won’t tolerate being constantly wet. Ideally, the soil should be relatively fertile (mix in compost prior to planting to increase nutrient levels).

When to Plant Rosemary

  • Plant rosemary in spring well after the frosts have passed, once the soil is starting to warm up (around 70ºF or 21°C). In warmer climates, plant in spring or fall.
  • Most gardeners start rosemary from young plants bought at a nursery. This plant does not germinate easily from seed and seedlings are slow to grow.
  • However, if you have access to an established rosemary plant, rosemary is very easily started from cuttings.
  • If you wish to grow from seed indoors, just be aware it will take several years to grow the plant large enough to start harvesting.
  • Start seeds or cuttings indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost. (See your local frost dates.) 

How to Plant Rosemary

  • Rosemary grows well in the ground or in containers. However, it does not like wet roots, so if your soil is heavy or wet, plant it in a pot or a raised bed. Also, rosemary does not transplant well from ground to container, so start in a pot if you plan to bring it inside (especially in colder climates).
  • Before planting in the ground, mix in several inches of organic matter, such as compost, to create nutritious, fertile soil.
  • In a pot, use a container mix, as rosemary needs a lighter-weight soil mix.
  • Space starter plants 2 to 3 feet apart; rosemary does not like being crowded.
  • If starting seeds or cuttings indoors, keep the soil moist while seeds germinate and roots develop. Seeds can take a long time to germinate (2 to 3 weeks), so don’t give up right away! Plant outside once the plant is 4 inches tall.

Rosemary plant with purple flowers

Growing

  • Keep the soil uniformly moist, allowing it to dry out between waterings. Be consistent; be careful not to overwater.
  • Rosemary shrubs growing in the ground do not need fertilizer, but a potted plant will run out of nutrition more quickly, so feed with an all-purpose balanced fertilizer after flowering.
  • Mulch the shrubs to keep plants insulated in winter, but keep mulch away from the crown of the plant to avoid rotting.
  • Prune annually before new growth begins in the spring, and prune out dead wood. Don’t prune the rosemary too heavily.
  • If you leave rosemary unpruned, it can get very woody, leggy, and straggly. After about 5 years, it’s best to replace it.
  • Be sure to get cuttings or divide the plant for next season if it won’t survive winter in your area.
  • During the winter, bring potted rosemary plants inside. Learn how to overwinter rosemary indoors.

Rosemary plants

Harvesting

  • While rosemary is an evergreen that can be harvested at any time, it’s best to harvest young stems and leaves for the freshest taste. The plant puts on soft new tips in the spring and summer.
  • The leaves and stems get tougher and more woody as they age. The older tips are best for infusing things with flavor or scent, rather than eating. Try making rosemary vinegar!
  • Even the flowers are edible, with a slightly sweeter flavor. Add to salads or dishes as a garnish.
  • Snip off stems, while keeping an eye on maintaining an attractive shape to the plant. Don’t harvest more than a third of the rosemary at any one time.
  • To dry rosemary, hang it upside down in bunches in a dark, warm place. Once stems are dry, strip the leaves from them and store in a sealed jar.

Pests and Problems

  • Aerial blight
  • Bacterial leaf spots
  • Several types of root rot

Wit and Wisdom

  • In the garden, plant rosemary near beans, cabbage, carrots, and sage. Learn more about companion planting with herbs.
  • Rosemary tea is said to enhance one’s memory. Wear a sprig of rosemary in your hair to improve your memory.
  • In the language of flowers, rosemary symbolizes remembrance.
  • A sprig of lavender or rosemary under your ironing board cover will release its fragrance with the heat.

The Many Uses of Rosemary

Enjoy this video showing the rosemary plant—and its many uses as a helper in the garden, kitchen, and healing home!

Herbs

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Francisco Inoc…</span> Wed, 05/23/2018 - 17:04
I think my potted Rosemary Bush might be rootbound and outgrown it’s large pot , do it buy a larger pot & decide this plant in two ? It stopped growing .
<span>Marlen Nesbitt</span> Wed, 04/04/2018 - 19:28
HI, I just got a rosemary plant and my intention is to plant it in a rock garden but I'm not sure if it will survive in winter due to i live in Kansas and the temperatures are cold so what do you recommend me?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 04/05/2018 - 12:42

Hi, Marlen, Your rosemary should do fine in your rock garden, if you wait to plant it when the soil is around 70°F. Make sure that the soil it well-draining; rosemary does not like cold or muddy conditions. See the planting and care tips above to be sure you give the plant a good start.

Before winter, before the first frost, you will need to lift (uproot) the plant and repot it to bring it indoors. See here for advice on that: https://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening/garden-journal/overwintering-rosemary-growing-rosemary-indoors

 <span>D Garcia</span> Fri, 12/22/2017 - 09:45
I moved my rosemary inside and it did well for about a month. Now it is December. It is very dry and looks dead. Should I give up hope or will rosemary get new growth in the spring? I used to have a big rosemary bush outside ( in TX) and it came back each year but I'm not sure about my new potted one. Thanks!
<span>Willard Seehorn</span> Thu, 02/15/2018 - 13:27
Rosemary is an evergreen. If it has turned brown/dropped it's needles and looks dead it probably is. Don't spend a tremendous amount of time trying to revive it.
<span>Linda Reed</span> Sun, 09/24/2017 - 11:49
We live in Colorado close to Boulder. We have a Rosemary that is 11 years old growing well in a large container. We would like to plant it in the ground . Question is where , when and next to what ...
<span>Emmie</span> Sat, 07/29/2017 - 00:45
I live in the southern US and have the most beautiful and biggest rosemary. It's been established at the side of my house right at the patio where it was planted in 2013. It came from a cutting and had three or four spindly limbs, and from that 1-1/2' tall (that might be stretching it) it has followed the sun and taken over almost four feet in a half circle onto my patio. It's almost five feet at its tallest, it's unbelievably thick, and it blooms at least twice each season except the hottest months of July and August and most of September. The blooms are overly plentiful and absolutely beautiful!! Everyone who's seen it is astonished at the size and the number of bloom times and are always glad to get sprays of it to cook with and share. I've grown herbs in large areas before with wonderful success but this has been a surprise. I've never given it any special care at all. The trunk system is a thick, twisted thing of beauty albeit hard to see due to the thickness of all the growth. I wish I could share photos, it's visible from the air like a tree would be! I can't give any help or tips because I don't give this beauty any special attention other than running my hands through the sticky limbs. I found this site when looking for information on propagating from established plants. I'm enjoying reading so I thought I'd leave this comment for those having problems. Mine is planted just at the side of my house and patio, it's in partial shade but gets full sun which tracks from east and south. The plant it came from the was from one of so many around another house - and those were all over and all decades old, the size of trees! Most were six get at a minimum. Best to all other herb and plant lovers!
<span>Melanie</span> Wed, 07/26/2017 - 12:19
Hi, we have several tall rosemary bushes in our community garden that have died. Is it ok to use them for kindling in the smoker or chimenea? Thank you!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 07/27/2017 - 12:05

Yes, rosemary in the chimenea would be lovely. And it's fine to terrific in the smoker. Keep in mind, too, that dried stems also make good skewers. Soak them, as you would wooden skewers before loading; the moisture will delay their burning before the food.

 <span>Ales</span> Tue, 07/25/2017 - 07:25
Hello, I just came across your website. My wife's mom has huge rosemary plant in northern Italy and I love this plant so much. We live in Dubai, where I completely struggle to plant it. It always dries out over and over again. I have no idea why. I have it in the pot. Quite large. Now there is 48deg celsius outside and I have put it between another potted plants in the shade area and watering it maybe once in two days. It started loosing color again. Please have you got any advice how to grow this pretty plant here? Thanks Ales