Common rosemary is also an upright variety, growing between 2 and 4 feet tall, with a spread of 30 inches. It is a fine herb and a dense, herbaceous evergreen shrub, with narrow grayish-green needle-like leaves and pretty lavender-blue flowers in spring. It is wonderful to grow in a container.

Harvest the leaves from early to mid-summer. They have a sharp taste and a pungent fragrance that is most often used for cooking, drying, and seasoning. Deer will avoid the plant as they don’t care for the flavor.

The flowers are useful in cooking, and in addition to its culinary uses, Common rosemary is suitable for mass plantings, hedges or screening, herb gardens, container planting, and general garden use. It will live for about 10 years if cared for properly.

Sun Exposure

• partial to full sun (six to eight hours)

Soil pH

• 6.0 to 7.0

Hardiness Zones

• 7 to 10

Spacing

• 2 to 3 feet apart

Moisture

• 1 inch every 2 weeks

Notes

• prefers well-drained soil
• erect habit, growing up to 4 feet tall
• avoid over-watering and over-fertilizing
• snip/prune the tops to encourage side growth

Do you grow Common rosemary? Does it thrive in your climate? Please tell us about your Common rosemary.