For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

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!

Buy Seeds Now

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

More Like This

Comments

<span>Thea</span> Fri, 02/21/2014 - 09:59
I'll try that and will post the results in a few days. Thanks a lot!
<span>Gatadecampo</span> Fri, 02/14/2014 - 07:34
I've got a rosemary plant for almost two years and it hasn't grown an inch. At least not upwards. The strange thing is that it has become extremely woody, but still remains midget. It's almost like a bonsai... How should I encourage it to grow upwards? I keep it in a medium pot, on a very sunny windowsill. Temperatures are hot during summer and mildly cold during winter where I live (Southern Hemisphere).
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 02/20/2014 - 15:52

When the temperatures warm up move the plant outside and put it in a sunny spot. Keep it moist and hopefully it will show some new growth. You can also prune some of the top branches to encourage new growth.

 <span>Paula Plishka</span> Wed, 02/12/2014 - 21:32
I have a rosemary bush in a pot (I live in WI and it is winter now) that I got for Christmas. It is all dried up. There are a few lonely bright green soft "leaves"..more like needles than leaves. Is there any hope for it? I keep hoping it will live but I have my doubts now. Anything I can do to get it to "releaf"? Paula
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 02/13/2014 - 11:46

Rosemary plants are tricky to overwinter. Make sure the soil is moist and mist the bush with water if the air in your house is dry. Also make sure it gets plenty of light.

 <span>Paula Plishka</span> Thu, 02/13/2014 - 16:46
Not sure if you wer answering my question or someone else's but it is already about 98% dried up. Will it get its leaves (needles) back or not. I am debating just putting it in the garbage.
<span>Gardenertina</span> Sat, 02/08/2014 - 09:55
I have a rosemary bush that is about four years old. It's planted in a large pot and until now, has done very well. I live in Southeastern Tennessee where we normally have very mild winters. This winter, however, it was unseasonably cold and unfortunately I forgot to bring my bush indoors when the temps dropped as low as one degree. The needles which normally stayed green all winter turned very dark, nearly black. I did manage to finally bring it inside but I, now, am unsure of how to proceed. I'm certain it's still alive as the branches are still very pliable but should I drastically prune it? Leave it alone and hope for the best? Any advice would be most appreciated as I've grown very fond of my rosemary plant! I use it to cook many dishes and SO love the smell as I walk by it.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 02/13/2014 - 11:43

Keep the bush moist and spray it with water a couple of times a week. You can prune it if you like. Hopefully it will come back.

 <span>Linda J</span> Fri, 04/18/2014 - 19:04
I live in Utah where rosemary doesn't grow--except my neighbors one planted in awful soil, rarely watered, snowplowed under in the winter. She pruned it back to about 8" 2 years ago, it came back fine. The leaves are like spruce needles, and pliable stems are good... Put it out in the sun, in the ground if possible, hope for the best.
<span>Txsharon</span> Mon, 01/20/2014 - 17:14
I am in SE TX and have a rosemary plant that is very large! It was there when we bought the house and we've really done nothing to care for it. We've trimmed some of the large bits to get it out of the pathway and it made out campfire very aromatic! I am wondering if any bit of the plant is good to use for cooking or should I trim it back and only use new growth?