Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Resinous evergreen whose scent unsettles bean beetle and carrot fly.
Light Full sun
Water Low
USDA zones 7a–10b
Height 1–1.5 m
Spread 2 ft 7 in
Spacing 60–90 cm
Sow depth Medium
Spacing & sowing
- Plant spacing
- 2 ft 6 in
- In-row spacing
- 23.6 in
- Between rows
- 2 ft 11 in
- Square-foot density
- Not suited to SFG
Calendar (from your frost dates)
- Plant out
- at the last spring frost
- First harvest
- 60 days after the last spring frost
- Harvest ends
- 14 days after the first fall frost
Growing
- Type
- Herb · Perennial
- Botanical family
- Mixed / other
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Watering
- Low
- Soil
- Poor, dry, free-draining
- Feeding
- Rarely worth feeding; poor soil gives the best flavor.
- USDA zones
- 7a–10b
- Frost tolerant
- Yes
- Flowering
- April
- Pruning
- Trim lightly after flowering, and never cut back into bare wood.
- Overwintering
- Shelter it from wet cold, and grow it in a pot where the site is exposed.
Through the year
- Mar–Apr Bud Break
- Apr–Apr Harvest
- Apr–Oct Flowering
- Oct–Dec Growing
- Jan–Mar Growing
Harvest
- When
- Being evergreen, rosemary can be picked in any month, though flavor and oil content peak in late spring and summer on the new season's growth. Harvest in the morning once dew has lifted; go gently in winter when the plant cannot regrow.
- What to look for
- Soft, pliable new stem tips with fresh green needles — these are the most tender and aromatic. Older growth is woodier and stronger-tasting but still perfectly usable.
- How to harvest
- Snip 10–15cm tips from the soft top growth with secateurs or scissors, cutting just above a leaf junction. Never cut back into bare brown wood, as rosemary rarely regenerates from old wood; take no more than about 20 percent of the bush at once.
- How often
- Frequent light picking through the growing season acts as helpful pruning and keeps the shrub dense. Avoid hard harvesting from early autumn onward so cuts harden before frost; a mature bush supplies a household year-round.
- Storing the crop
- Fresh sprigs keep two weeks or more in the fridge in a loosely closed bag. Rosemary dries easily (hang bunches, then strip needles) and keeps its flavor well; sprigs also freeze whole, or needles can be preserved in oil or infused in vinegar.
Companions
Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Beans
Pests & problems
- Rosemary beetle A small metallic green-and-purple striped beetle that grazes rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme. Shake branches over a tray to collect adults and larvae.
- Root & crown rot Root rot in wet or heavy ground
- Frost damage Soft new growth and open flowers blackened by late frosts. Fleece on cold nights, avoid planting in frost pockets, and resist cutting damage away until frosts pass.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
Did you know?
Rosemary is an evergreen shrub that can live for decades and grow waist-high.
The Cottage Garden Companion — the gardener's herbarium at cottagegardencompanion.com