Salvia rosmarinus (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Rosemary is an aromatic, evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of the most commonly known herbs and there are many cultivars of varying size, shape, hardiness, and flower color. It has been used as a culinary flavoring for thousands of years as well as for its essential oil. Rosemary is also popular in landscaping and hedges and is an excellent winter food source for resident hummingbirds.
Requirements: Full sun (6 hour minimum) and well-draining soil (sandy if possible). Creeping (trailing) rosemaries tend to be less hardy than upright forms and require impeccable drainage.
Care: Prune rosemary no more than 1/3 at a time and not more than once in a two month period. Cutting the 1-2 inches off the tips of the branches will promote bushier growth. Do not prune in the winter or within 4 weeks of the first frost.
Rosemary 'Arp'
An especially hardy cultivar from Arp, Texas selected by Hilltop Herb Farm in 1972. Gray-green leaves and pale blue flowers in spring.
Habit: Upright
Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 5 ft.
Rosemary 'Baby P.J.'
A very small cultivar with short, narrow leaves. Light blue flowers in winter. Perfect for containers and small herb gardens.
Habit: Trailing
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Rosemary 'Baie de Douarnenez'
A prostrate French selection that does well as a groundcover or for arching over garden walls. Gorgeous dark blue flowers in winter.
Habit: Trailing
Height: to 1 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Rosemary 'Blue Lagoon'
Description coming soon.
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Height:. Spread:
Rosemary 'Bonnie Jean'
A low, spreading selection with decumbent stems and dark blue flowers in winter. Raised by John Balf of Brackenstone Herbs, B.C. Ideal for containers and small herb gardens.
Habit: Trailing
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Rosemary 'Calvor's Sicilian'
Description coming soon.
Habit: Trailing
Height:. Spread:
Rosemary 'Capercaillie'
A Scottish cultivar with vibrant green foliage and short, wide leaves. Stays relatively small and does well in containers. Smothered in bright blue flowers from winter to spring.
Habit: Trailing
Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 2 ft.
Rosemary 'Collingwood Ingram'
Description coming soon.
Habit: Trailing
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Rosemary 'Dancing Waters'
Raised by Sandy Mush Herb Nursery and selected for its deep blue flowers and dark green foliage. A rapid grower with a prostrate growth habit. Ideal for containers and rock gardens.
Habit: Trailing
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Rosemary 'Forestri'
Selected for it's tidy, dark foliage and crisp aroma. Blooms dark blue flowers in winter.
Habit: Upright
Height:. to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Rosemary 'Gorizia'
An Italian cultivar with broad, robust leaves which are popular for culinary use. Blooms light blue flowers in winter.
Habit: Upright
Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Rosemary 'Green Ginger'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Herb Cottage'
An especially drought tolerant cultivar with a high oil content. An excellent rosemary for oils and salt or spice blends. Blooms violet-blue flowers in winter.
Habit: Upright
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Rosemary 'Huntington Carpet'
A very low-growing, spreading cultivar that makes an excellent groundcover. Grows to around 1 ft. and will eventually spread to around 6 ft. wide. Light blue flowers.
Habit: Trailing
Height: to 1 ft. Spread: to 6 ft.
Rosemary 'Joyce DeBaggio'
(Golden Rain)
A unique cultivar with golden-green foliage raised by DeBaggio Herb Farm. Blooms dark blue flowers in spring.
Habit:
Height:. to 5 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Rosemary 'Lady in White'
A unique pure white-flowering cultivar with dark green foliage.
Habit: Upright
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Rosemary 'Lockwood de Forest'
Low-growing and spreading with bright green foliage and pale blue flowers in winter. Discovered as a chance seedling in a garden in Santa Barbara, CA in the 1970s.
Habit: Trailing
Height:.to 2 ft. Spread: to 6 ft.
Rosemary 'Logee Blue'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Majorca Pink'
An old English cultivar with a columnar growth habit and a great form for topiary. Very aromatic foliage and long, unique blooms of delicate pink flowers.
Habit: Upright
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Rosemary 'Miss Jessopp's Upright'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Mozart'
Blooms some of the darkest blue flowers of any rosemary. A semi-prostrate cultivar with a trailing growth habit. Perfect for arching over rock walls, containers, and garden beds.
Habit: Trailing
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Rosemary 'Mrs. Reed's Dark Blue'
A bushy growth habit up to 6 ft. tall and about as wide. Blooms gorgeous dark blue flowers from winter into spring. An excellent cultivar for landscaping.
Habit: Upright
Height: to 6 ft. Spread: to 6 ft.
Rosemary 'Nancy Howard'
Unique white flowers that fade to pink and broad, dark green leaves.
Habit: Upright
Height:. to 6 ft. Spread: to 6 ft.
Rosemary 'Portuguese Pink'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Rampant Boule'
A low-growing French selection with abundant blooms of blue-speckled flowers in winter. A somewhat arching, trailing growth habit.
Habit: Trailing
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Rosemary 'Salem'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Sawyer's Blue'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Severn Sea'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Shimmering Stars'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Spice Island'
Description coming soon.
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Rosemary 'Ticonderoga'
An especially hardy and fast-growing cultivar. Blooms luminous blue flowers from winter into spring.
Habit: Upright
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'
A long-standing favorite of many chefs for culinary use. Broad, aromatic leaves are especially fragrant and have a high oil content. Dark blue flowers. One of the tallest cultivars.
Habit: Upright
Height: to 6 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.