Salem Rosemary

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3 Feet

Mature Spread

16 - 24 Inches

Salem Rosemary is an easy herb to grow and a pretty and fragrant plant in any garden. Some regions are too hot or cold for rosemary, and many are too wet. Enter Salem Rosemary, a hybrid herb with plenty of kitchen uses and a better tolerance of humid climates, like in the Pacific Northwest, than most rosemary plants. In moderate zones (7 through 9), Salem Rosemary is a perennial, so once planted, it should come back year after year. In colder and hotter zones, it's still a perfect container or kitchen garden plant as an annual. The plant grows upright to about 3 feet high and 2 feet around.

Rosemary is an easy herb to dry, so if you can grow it only in spring (in hot climates) or summer (in cold climates), you can harvest stems and dry them for year-round cooking. The herb is a favorite for poultry, beef, fish or plenty of vegetable sides. It’s native to the Mediterranean, but this variety was bred in Salem, North Carolina.

Salem Rosemary Plant Care

Rosemary plants need lots of sunlight, at least 6 hours a day. Plant Salem Rosemary in spring after the danger of frost has passed. Choose a soil that drains well because rosemary plants do not like having soggy soil around their roots. Adding some organic compost to a hole at least twice as wide and deep as the new plant's container can improve drainage. The only real pruning rosemary needs is harvesting, snipping stems off with sharp scissors or clippers. If using more for the kitchen than for ornamental purposes, prune off flowers when they appear. Avoid heavy pruning of rosemary or cutting into the larger woody stems.

Growing Salem Rosemary Plants

Another choice for growing Salem Rosemary outside zones 7 through 9 is to bring the plant indoors when temperatures dip or rise above the plant's limits. It's one of the best rosemary varieties for growing indoors, where light is limited. You can at least extend the plant's life, if not keep it going until you can carry the pot back outside. Salem Rosemary grows fast and is ready for harvesting stems as soon as it is established in the garden or container.

Growing Salem Rosemary in a container is easy. Choose a pot that has drainage and is at least as wide as the plant (about 2 feet around at the top) and a foot or more deep. Use a loose potting mix with some added compost to ensure drainage.

Watering Salem Rosemary

Rosemary is a low-water herb, and does best if allowed to dry out occasionally. Water new plants as soon as the soil feels dry an inch or two down. Avoid watering late in the day, after rain, or when there is a threat of cold evenings.

Feeding Salem Rosemary Plants

Salem Rosemary should not need fertilizing. The plant grows quickly on its own.

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ROSSAP