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Rosemary (Rosmarinus), The Herb of Remembrance

Highly fragrant, and used for cooking, hair rinses, and potpourri.  Traditional Christmas herb.

Requires sun, good well-drained soil, and extra lime.  Height depends on varieety, age, and pot size.  Even the most durable varieties are only hardy to 10 degrees, so they must be wintered indoors.  Standard varieties are hardy to 25 degrees.

Types of Rosemary

Rosemary (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  Standard variety with gray-green foliage, blue flowers, upright growth, and nice fragrance.

Rosemary, Arp (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  One of the first of the hardier rosemaries on the market, this one will survive 10 degrees with protection.  Foliage is more gray than most varieties.  An upright grower with blue blooms.

Rosemary, Benenden Blue (R.offic.)  Tender perennial.  Especially dark green foliage that is highly scented.  Very branching form, rich blue blooms.  Excellent culinary variety.

Rosemary, Blue Boy (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  Tiny leaves and medium blue flowers.  One of the most prolific bloomers.

Rosemary, Blue Spire (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  Also called "Athens" or "Athens Blue Spire".  Bright blue blooms on upright stems.  Very fragrant, rich green foliage.  Good culinary variety.

Rosemary, Collingwood Ingram (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  Fast-growing prostrate variety with large leaves.  This is the one we use for most of our "wired" topiary hearts and rings.  Good flavor.

Rosemary, Foresteri (R. offic. Herb Cottage?)  Tender perennial.  This one came to us labelled "Forest Rosemary", and I assumed it would be the old "Lockwood de Forest".  However, it is an upright form, so I think it is probably the traditional variety instead.  Medium green leaves, blue bloom.

Rosemary, Golden Prostrate (R. offic. 'prostratus' sp.)  Tender perennial, selected for its "golden" growth in spring.  Ours is hardly noticable, but it is a quick-growing prostrate variety, with slightly smaller leaves than Collingwood Ingram.  Lavender-blue flowers.

Rosemary, Golden Rain (R. offic. 'Golden Rain')  Tender perennial - a distinctive variety with gold-edged leaves on its new growth.  Leaves are medium in width.  Dark blue bloom, upright form.

Rosemary, Gorizia (R. offic. 'Gorizia')  Tender perennial - extremely large leaves on strong plants, upright, light blue blooms.  Culinary.

Rosemary, Gray Offic. (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  A reliable gray-leaved rosemary, with good fragrance and flavor.  Upright.  Pale blue blooms.

Rosemary, Hill Hardy (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  Discovered by famous herbalist Madeline Hill in the Hill Country of Texas.  Not hardy in Indiana, or anywhere else that goes below 20 degrees.  Narrow green leaves, very branching and bushy, slightly sprawling.  Medium blue blooms, good flavor.

Rosemary, Huntington Carpet (R. off. prostratus sp.)  Tender perennial.  An improved selection of standard prostrate varieties, this one has very dark green, short leaves, quick growth, and consistent performance.  Trailing form, prolific blue bloom.

Rosemary, Irene (R. off. prostratus sp. 'I')  Tender perennial.  Cascading form, slower to grow than some varieties, but worth the wait.

Rosemary, Logee Blue (R. offic. L.B.)  Tender perennial. A selection from the famous Logee Nursery in Connecticutt, known for its intense blue blooms.  Good culinary variety.

Rosemary, Lottie DeBaggio (R. offic. L.dB')  Tender perennial.  Selected by plantsman Tom DeBaggio for its lavender-blue blooms and fine, narrow foliage.

Rosemary, Miss Jessup's Upright (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  A very old variety, listed in early catalogues and plant lists.  Light blue blooms, and upright growth.  A strong performer.  Good flavor.

Rosemary, Mrs. Howard (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  Upright.  Culinary.

Rosemary, Pine Scented (R. angustifolia)  Tender perennial.  Very upright, narrow leaved form.  Distinctive pine scent.  Blue bloom.

Rosemary, Pink (R. offic. 'Majorca Pink')  Tender perennial.  Very upright form with short, compact leaves.  Pink blooms in slightly lavender tinge.  Quick growing.

Rosemary, Prostrate (R. offic. prostratus)  Tender perennial.  Standard trailing form, greyed green leaves, blue bloom.  Rugged growth.

Rosemary, Salem (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  A selection noted for being harder as far north as Salem, Mass. (to 10 degrees).  Bright green, slow growing.  Good fragrance and flavor.

Rosemary, Spice Island (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  Very dark green, wide leaves.  Upright form.  Highly fragrant.  Culinary.

Rosemary, Tuscan Blue (R. offic.)  Tender perennial.  A gift from Jim Wilson (PBS' Victory Garden) when we visited his home.  Very strong grower with extremely upright habit. Culinary favorite.  Blue blooms.

Rosemary, White Flowered (R. offic. albus).  Tender perennial.  Dark green leaves, fairly upright growth, but with white blooms.