Rosemary, Mediterranean Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis is easily grown from seed offered by the GreenDealer Exotic Seeds selections of Culinary Herbs, Insect Repellent Plants & Pesticides, Herbal Tea and Fragrant Plants.

An evergreen shrub with resinous, pine-like needles up to 2 inches long. The foliage is very fragrant and tasty. Rosemary is winter hardy in zones 8-10. It does not tolerate temperatures below 10°F and should be grown indoors during winter months where prolonged freezing temperatures are likely. It can grow as high as 6 feet in ideal conditions of zones 9 and 10. Farther north the winter frost will kill back the top branches allowing most specimens to attain a height of no more than 2 or 3 feet. The plant usually will recover if frost is not prolonged and will produce 1/2 inch violet-blue flowers in spring.

Rosemary prefers a well drained, not particularly rich soil, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep in potting soil indoors. When the plants are 2 to 4 inches tall and there is no danger of frost outdoors, set the plants in filtered light for 10 days to 2 weeks. They will then be ready to set out in a sunny location where drainage is good. Rosemary foliage can be used at anytime, fresh or dried, but the plants take 2 to 3 years to mature. Propagation from stem cuttings is another method of obtaining more plants.

© 1998 Michael King