Rosemary (lang: Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs.

The name rosemary has nothing to do with the rose or the name Mary, but derives from the Latin name lang: rosmarinus, which literally means "dew of the sea", though some think this too may be derived from an earlier name.

Description

Forms range from upright to trailing; the upright forms can reach tall, rarely .

The leaves are evergreen, long and 2-5 mm broad, green above, and white below with dense short woolly hairs.

The flowers are variable in color, being white, pink, purple, or blue.

Cultivation

Since it is attractive and tolerates some degree of drought, it is also used in landscaping, especially in areas having a Mediterranean climate. It is considered easy to grow for beginner gardeners, and is pest-resistant.

Rosemary is easily pruned into shapes and has been used for topiary. When grown in pots, it is best kept trimmed to stop it getting too straggly and unsightly, though when grown in a garden, rosemary can grow quite large and still be attractive. It can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping a shoot long, stripping a few leaves from the bottom, and planting it directly into soil.

Numerous cultivars have been selected for garden use. The following are frequently sold:

• Albus- white flowers
• Arp- leaves light green, lemon-scented
• Aureus- leaves speckled yellow
• Benenden Blue - leaves narrow, dark green
• Blue Boy - dwarf, small leaves
• Golden Rain - leaves green, with yellow streaks
• Irene - lax, trailing
• Lockwood de Forest - procumbent selection from Tuscan Blue
• Ken Taylor - shrubby
• Majorica Pink - pink flowers
• Miss Jessop's Upright - tall, erect
• Pinkie - pink flowers
• Prostratus
• Pyramidalis (a.k.a Erectus) - pale blue flowers
• Roseus - pink flowers
• Salem - pale blue flowers, cold hardy similar to Arp
• Severn Sea - spreading, low-growing, with arching branches; flowers deep violet
• Tuscan Blue - upright

Culinary use

The fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine as a herb; they have a bitter, astringent taste, which complements a wide variety of foods. A tisane can also be made from them. They are extensively used in cooking, and when burned give off a distinct mustard smell, as well as a smell similar to that of burning which can be used to flavor foods while barbecueing.