Rosemary Herb

Herbs > Rosemary Herb

Information on, uses of and how to grow rosemary:

Name

Rosmarinus officinalis.

Family

Labiatae.

History

Rosemary was carried by the ancient Greeks and Romans at weddings and funerals. They used to twine it in their hair believing it to quicken the memory. Rosemary has always grown wild around the Mediterranean coasts. One legend claims that the flower took its blue colour from the Virgin Mary’s cloak when she threw it over a Rosemary bush.

Growing pattern

Perennial evergreen shrub.

Seeds

Buy Rosemary Seeds (Organic and Non-Organic) from The Green Chronicle (Pay in $US, £, Euro).
Herbs, Seasonings and Spices - Buy Rosemary from Mountain Rose Herbs ($US).

How to grow

Rosemary seeds are very slow to germinate so they are best started off in a pot. Transplant them to a permanent position when the plants are well grown. Alternatively, beg a few cuttings from someone who has a Rosemary bush. This is best done in late summer. Ask for 6 inch side shoots and put them in a pot of sandy soil to get them rooting.

Soil condition/position

Rosemary loves hot sun and poor, slightly limed soil which is well drained.

Appearance

A Rosemary bush can grow up to 4 or 5 feet tall. The narrow leaves are a blue/grey colour and the plant has dusty blue flowers.

Uses

The leaves are good for cooking lamb and fish (especially Halibut) they can also be used to flavour biscuits, eggs, cheese, jams, wine cups and jellies. An infusion of Rosemary is said to darken the hair if used as a rinse.

If you have a question about Rosemary, have a look at our reader's question page on Rosemary.

The Green Chronicle Community

If you have any questions you want to ask or any information you want to share please visit our friendly community forum.

Here are some of the topics being discussed at the moment:

- Herbs Home Page
- Buy Gardening Books in The Green Chronicle's Book Store.
- See other Herb Websites in The Green Chronicle's Directory.
- Visit The Green Chronicle Shop

Comment Script

Post this page to:

Comments

Please enter your comments or questions in the form below. All entries are manually approved before being published so it may be a while before you see your comment on the page.

Snap off a couple of bits. If the wood is dry and brittle chances are the plant is dead. If it is still sappy and light green/yellow inside then there is still life in the plant.
Cut out any dead bits. Water regularly at the roots only.Look at the other answer to a similar problem if your rosemary is kept indoors.
Don't think dead or dying rosemary will be much good for cooking but you could save it for fragrant winter fires.

#3 - Mary - 07/09/2007 - 15:00

My Rosemary was in a pot and doing well then all of a sudden dried up looks awful...don't know what happened.....can it still be used and or saved?

Thank you from San Antonio,Texas

#2 - Joyce - 07/06/2007 - 20:59

Make sure that the rosemary is in a big enough pot. It should have good drainage and get enough sunlight (there is a specific amount in hours which is shown on some websites).It should not be in direct burning sunshine through glass nor should it stand in a draught or too near to a gas appliance.Rosemary also hates humidity and being crowded by other plants.
As far as remedial action is concerned you could try cutting off any dead wood (dispose of it so that it will not affect any other plants if a virus is implicated)then water regularly at the roots only and maybe try a mulch.The soil should be just damp when you poke your finger into it.

#1 - Mary - 07/05/2007 - 18:04

i inherited a full grown indoor rosemary plant & did not do all my homework on maintaining the health & life of the plant. Now it appears to be dying rapidly & i'm trying to save it. Can i repair my plant or is this a lost cause?

Helpless in chi-town......

#0 - van - 06/30/2007 - 07:48


Name

E-mail (Will not appear online)

Comment