Rosemary - Salvia rosmarinus (syn. Rosmarinus officinalis)

Bring the Mediterranean to your kitchen and patio with Rosemary. This iconic herb scents the air with a powerful, complex blend of woodsy, resinous, and camphor notes. Indispensable for elevating grilled dishes, Rosemary comes in upright varieties, perfect for adding structure to a pot, or trailing types, ideal for cascading elegantly from a window box. It is the robust, aromatic partner every gourmet gardener needs.

Features

• Foliage: Linear, narrow, and leathery leaves resembling conifer needles. They are dark green on top and silver underneath, highly aromatic when touched.
• Flowering: Small bilabiate flowers, usually pale blue to violet (sometimes white or pink), appearing along the stems.
• Light: Requires full sun. Indoors, it needs a south-facing window or supplemental artificial light to maintain vigor.
• Habit: Variable depending on the variety. The classic type is bushy and upright, ideal for height. Trailing or creeping varieties form a dense mat, perfect for hanging baskets.
• Growth: Moderate. Can form a small woody shrub over time.
• Soil: Requires a light and especially very well-drained substrate. Cactus mix or potting soil mixed with perlite is ideal to prevent root rot.
• Temperature and Humidity: Prefers heat in summer. Indoors in winter, it dislikes dry heating air; a cool room with good air circulation is preferable.
• Resistances: Very drought-tolerant once established and resistant to common pests. Susceptible to overwatering (rot).

Usage

• Types of use: Patio pot, hanging basket (trailing varieties), vegetable garden, indoor plant (high light), topiary.
• Decorative benefits: Provides fine texture and an elegant grey-green colour. Structures arrangements.
• Culinary benefits: Intense, peppery flavour. The leaves, fresh or dried, retain their aroma during cooking. Ideal for flavoring lamb, roasted potatoes, focaccia, and oils.

Care

• Watering: Water moderately. It is imperative to let the soil dry out on the surface between waterings. Rosemary hates "wet feet."
• Fertilization: Fertilize sparingly. A natural herb fertilizer once a month during the growing season is sufficient.
• Pruning: Harvest stem tips regularly to densify the plant and prevent it from becoming leggy at the base.
• Winter Protection: Not hardy in Quebec (Zone 8). Bring the pot inside before the first frost or treat it as an annual.