Rosemary
Uses:
- Borders
- Xeriscaping
- Pollinator Gardens
- Herb & Sensory Gardens
Features:
- Deer Resistant
- Drought Tolerant
- Attracts Butterflies and Bees
- Aromatic Leaves & Flowers
Sunlight:
- Full Sun
- 6+ Hours of Direct Sun
Growing Zones:
- 7-11
- What is My Zone?
Rosemary is a tough woody perennial with fragrant leaves and flowers. The small flowers bloom in spring and summer and come in shades of blue, violet, purple, pink, or white. The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and even birds sometimes, making this a useful plant for pollinator and edible gardens. The needlelike foliage is evergreen and often used to flavor meats, sauces, vegetables, and soups. Rosemary essential oils have anti-inflammatory properties that may help with memory loss and other medical conditions. Use upright varieties in xeriscapes, herb gardens, and Mediterranean-themed plantings, while the low, cascading types are wonderful in containers and along retaining walls.
By far, rosemary is one of our favorite low-water plants. The scent and the taste of this Mediterranean herb are very distinct and wonderful. Rosemary is a perennial plant down to zone 7, and some varieties can survive up to cooler zone 6B, that can survive the winter in a south-facing rock garden. In fact, the plant does best in zones 6 through 8, where it begins to grow as soon as spring warms.
Benefits of Rosemary
Aside from its easy care, rosemary tolerates drought, needing extra water only in its first year and during higher summer heat. Its tiny purple flowers can show up in early spring and again in fall. The flowers attract plenty of bees and look pretty above the needle-like scented leaves. And rosemary is deer resistant.
Rosemary is used in sachets, potpourris and herb mixes. It is a flavorful herb, especially for poultry, beef and breads. It is also a very common herb used in mixed drinks with whiskey and tequila. We recommend growing rosemary in your garden, even if you have to grow it only as an annual or in cooler times of year.