Illustration of Salvia rosmarinus by Amédée Masclef in Atlas des plantes de France (1891). [Public Domain]
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Salvia rosmarinus
Common Names: rosemary
An herb used by humans as early as 5,000 BCE and considered sacred amongst the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Rosemary is most popular today as a culinary herb, but is also widely used as fragrance in essential oils and hydrosols. All cultivars of S. rosmarinus are considered suitable for culinary use, though there is slight variation in the composition of their essential oils. Rosemary is also widely grown as an aromatic, ornamental plant and is well-adapted to dry-summer climates.
Most rosemary cultivars fall into one of three growth habits:
Upright: columnar or upswept & bushy growth, mostly vertical stems
Trailing: low, spreading growth either prostrate or decumbent
Semi-Trailing: an intermediate between upright & trailing
Distribution: the Mediterranean Basin
Care: S. rosmarinus grows wild in rocky scrublands with degraded soils, often adapted to 5 months of summer drought. Once established, no supplemental irrigation is needed. Humid, wet soils in summer can act as a vector for fungal pathogens and be harmful (or fatal) to overall health. No fertilizer. Tip-pruning when young will promote denser, more branched growth and result in a more conventionally attractive plant. Can be pruned annually to reshape.
Our Selection
Salvia rosmarinus 'Arp'
Description: evergreen shrub; an especially hardy cultivar selected by Hilltop Herb Farm of Arp, TX in 1972. Upright, bushy growth with gray-green leaves and pale blue flowers in spring.
Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Baby P.J.'
Description: evergreen shrub; a very small cultivar with short, narrow leaves. Semi-trailing growth and light blue flowers in winter. Perfect for containers and small herb gardens. Requires gritty, fast-draining soil.
Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 18 in.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Baie de Douarnenez'
Description: evergreen shrub; a very low-growing trailing French selection that does well as a groundcover or cascading over retaining walls. Gorgeous dark blue flowers in winter.
Height: to 1 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Blue Boy'
Description: evergreen shrub; selected by Huntington Botanical Gardens prior to 2000. Dense, semi-trailing growth with short leaves and bright blue flowers. One of the smallest rosemaries in cultivation.
Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 18 in.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Blue Lady'
Description: evergreen shrub; an introduction by Sandy Mush Nursery of North Carolina ('Prostratus' × 'Collingwood Ingram'). Semi-trailing growth. Very floriferous with sky blue flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Blue Lagoon'
Description: evergreen shrub; lax and low-growing with brilliant dark blue flowers in autumn and winter
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Blue Rain'
Description: evergreen shrub; low, trailing growth and light blue flowers. Reputed to be one of the longest-blooming rosemaries in cultivation.
Height: to 1 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Bonnie Jean'
Description: evergreen shrub; a selection by John Balf of British Columbia. Vigorous growth with blue flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Calvor's Sicilian'
Description: evergreen shrub; a gorgeous semi-trailing form shared by Calvor Palmeteer of Vancouver, BC that has reportedly withstood numerous low temperature spells of 0°F with minimal damage. Semi-upright growth and dark blue flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Capercaillie'
Description: evergreen shrub; a Scottish selection with a uniquely bushy prostrate form and bright blue flowers in autumn and winter. Foliage is relatively wide and dark green with silver-gray undersides. Very hardy.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Collingwood Ingram'
syn: 'Wood' , 'Majorca'
Description: evergreen shrub; a unique form collected in Majorca by Collingwood Ingram. Semi-trailing growth with intense blue flowers.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Dancing Waters'
Description: evergreen shrub; raised by Sandy Mush Herb Nursery of North Carolina ('Collingwood Ingram' × 'Prostratus') 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.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Fota Blue'
Description: evergreen shrub; originated on Fota Island, Ireland. Distinguished by short foliage, relatively wide leaves, and a predominantly trailing growth habit.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus GOLDEN RAIN 'Joyce DeBaggio'
Description: evergreen shrub; an introduction by Thomas DeBaggio of Arlington, VA. Upright growth with narrow, gold-edged foliage which is more prominent in spring and autumn. Pale blue flowers in autumn and winter. Essential oil has uniquely high camphor content.
Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Gorizia'
Description: evergreen shrub; a cultivar from Italy introduced by Thomas DeBaggio of Arlington, VA. Upright, columnar growth with gray-green foliage and pale blue flowers. Large, wide leaves are favored by chefs.
Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Green Ginger'
Description: evergreen shrub; dense, upright growth with light blue flowers in autumn and winter. Bright green foliage has a mild ginger aroma and taste.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Herb Cottage' syn: 'Forestri'
Description: evergreen shrub; an especially hardy upright form with a high essential oil content. An excellent rosemary for infusions or salt/spice blends. Violet-blue flowers bloom in winter. Originated at the Cathedral Herb Garden in Washington, D.C.
Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 5 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Huntington Carpet'
Description: evergreen shrub; a low-growing, trailing cultivar often used as groundcover for dry sunny aspects, or cascading over retaining walls. Light blue flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 5 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Kent Taylor'
Description: evergreen shrub; despite every other account of this plant as 'Ken Taylor', the man who operated Taylor's Herb Gardens in California in the 1980s and introduced this cultivar was in fact named Kent Taylor. This selection was a sport of 'Collingwood Ingram' ('Majorca') with a more prostrate growth habit and darker blue flowers.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Lady in White'
Description: evergreen shrub; an upright form with pure white flowers in autumn and winter. Short, narrow foliage.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Lockwood de Forest'
Description: evergreen shrub; a very floriferous selection from California with light green foliage and pale blue flowers in autumn and winter. Trailing growth habit.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 6 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Logee Blue'
Description: evergreen shrub; a vigorous form selected by Logee's of Connecticut prior to 1973. Dense, upright growth.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Majorca Pink'
Description: evergreen shrub; light pink flowers in autumn and winter and an upright growth habit. Essential oil is high in camphor content.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Maltese White'
Description: evergreen shrub; a seldom-offered selection of white-flowering rosemary with gray-green foliage and silver-white stems. Upright growth.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Margaret Sarah'
syn: 'Sarah's White'
Description: evergreen shrub; the best of the white-flowering cultivars as judged by the Royal Horticultural Society of the U.K. in their 2021 rosemary trials. Neat and bushy upright growth and elegant white flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Miss Jessopp's Upright'
Description: evergreen shrub; a long-held standard for upright, columnar rosemary in the U.K. One of just eight cultivars selected for the award of garden merit in the 2021 rosemary trials at the RHS Garden Wisley. Short leaves and pale blue flowers. Introduced in England by E.A. Bowles and named for Euphemia Jessopp.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Mozart'
Description: evergreen shrub; a semi-trailing form selected by the late Ed Carman, a renowned plantsman in California. Tidy, arching growth and gorgeous dark blue flowers in autumn and winter. Ideal for container culture.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Mrs. Reed's Dark Blue'
Description: evergreen shrub; introduced by Joanna Reed of Malvern, PA. A strong, upright cultivar with bushy green foliage and dark blue flowers in autumn and winter. A favorite for hedges and landscaping.
Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 6 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Nancy Howard'
Description: evergreen shrub; introduced by Cyrus Hyde of Port Murray, NJ. Upright growth with very pale blue, almost white, flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Portuguese Pink'
Description: evergreen shrub; a selection from Portugal brought to the U.S. by Judy Kehs of Cricket Hill Herb Farm in Massachusetts. Very columnar growth with mesmerizing dark pink flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Rampant Boule'
Description: evergreen shrub; dense foliage and the most vigorous of the trailing forms. Can reach 12 ft. wide in optimal conditions and is very useful as a groundcover. Sky blue flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 6 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Salem'
Description: evergreen shrub; an especially hardy, fast-growing upright form selected from Old Salem, NC and introduced by Sandy Mush Herb Nursery. Blue-violet flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Sawyer's Select'
Description: evergreen shrub; a U.K. selection with stiff, upright branches and narrow green leaves. A favorite for topiaries. Pale blue flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Severn Sea'
Description: evergreen shrub; an old English cultivar raised by Norman Hadden of Somerset in the 1950s. Trailing growth with short, dark green foliage and small blue flowers in autumn and winter.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Shady Acres'
Description: evergreen shrub; a 1999 introduction by Theresa Mieseler of Shady Acres Herb Farm, MN. Vigorous, upright growth with dark green foliage and dark blue flowers in spring. An excellent culinary choice.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Shimmering Stars'
Description: evergreen shrub; an introduction by Sandy Mush Nursery of Leicester, NC ('Prostratus' × 'Collingwood Ingram' ('Majorca')). Low-growing with dark green foliage and a prostrate growth habit. Very small pale blue flowers with distinctive stripes in autumn and winter.
Height: to 15 in. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Sorcerer's Apprentice'
Description: evergreen shrub; a low-growing introduction from the U.K. with compact, bushy foliage and dark blue-purple flowers in autumn and winter. Recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit in the 2021 rosemary cultivar trials at Wisley.
Height: to 1 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Spice Island'
Description: evergreen shrub; stiff, upright growth and short, somewhat sticky leaves with mid-blue flowers in spring.
Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Taylor's Blue'
Description: evergreen shrub; introduced by Taylor's Herb Gardens of Vista, CA. Vigorous, upright growth with narrow, dark green foliage and blue flowers in spring. A favorite for topiaries or hedges.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Ticonderoga'
Description: evergreen shrub; one of the best for hedges and landscaping. Sturdy, upright growth with compact foliage and dazzling blue flowers in spring.
Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 5 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'
Description: evergreen shrub; collected from Tuscany, Italy by W. Arnold-Forster prior to 1948. A columnar growth habit with broad green foliage.
Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Salvia rosmarinus ex Crete
Description: evergreen shrub; a very floriferous prostrate form collected in Crete by renowned plantsman, Christopher Brickell. Sky blue flowers in spring.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
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