Shrub
Rosemary
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in March | Flowers in April | Flowers in May | |||||||||
| Plant | Plant in April | Plant in May | Plant in September | |||||||||
| Prune | Prune in May | Prune in June | ||||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in January | Looks good in February | Looks good in March | Looks good in April | Looks good in May | Looks good in June | Looks good in July | Looks good in August | Looks good in September | Looks good in October | Looks good in November | Looks good in December |
Overview
Now botanically a salvia, rosemary is both a kitchen herb and a handsome evergreen shrub. Its pale blue flowers open from late winter into spring, giving early bumblebees a valuable meal. 'Miss Jessopp's Upright' makes a strong vertical shape, 'Severn Sea' arches gracefully, and the Prostratus group trails over walls and pot edges. 'Majorca Pink' offers lilac-pink flowers.
Where to grow rosemary
A hot, sunny position with excellent drainage is essential. It is happy against a south-facing wall, in a gravel garden or tumbling from a raised bed. In colder, wetter parts of the north, a large terracotta pot that can be moved under cover is the safest bet. It sits nicely beside lavender and sedum.
Planting
Plant in spring or early autumn. Dig in coarse grit on heavy soil and set the plant slightly proud of the surface so water runs away from the stem. For pots, use a loam-based compost mixed with about a third grit.
Care through the year
Spring
Enjoy the flowers, then give a light trim once they finish; no feeding is needed in the ground.
Summer
Harvest freely, cutting soft shoot tips; water pots when the top few centimetres feel dry.
Autumn
Take cuttings as insurance and move pots to a sheltered spot near the house.
Winter
Keep containers on feet and out of persistent rain; pick sparingly during hard frost.
Pruning
Trim after flowering in late spring, shortening the season's growth by up to a third to keep plants bushy. Like lavender, rosemary does not reliably regrow from old bare wood, so avoid cutting into it. Regular harvesting does much of the shaping for you.
Propagation
Semi-ripe cuttings 10 cm long root well in summer and early autumn. Strip the lower leaves, insert them around the edge of a pot of gritty compost and keep it in light shade until roots form.
Common problems
Rosemary beetle grazes leaves and flowers from late summer through spring; tap the beetles onto newspaper and remove them. Waterlogged roots cause sudden browning and death, and frost in an exposed site can scorch foliage. Good drainage prevents most trouble.
Guides to the problems most likely to affect rosemary:
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in April, May, June and September. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.