Versatile Rosemary

In warm climates, rosemary is an excellent evergreen shrub; it can be planted along walkways and borders.

By Charlie Nardozzi

It's an herb, it's a shrub, it's a perennial flower—it's rosemary. Rosemary is one of the more versatile plants available. Depending on your climate, rosemary can be grown as an annual herb to flavor fish, meat, and vegetable dishes or as an evergreen landscape plant.

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region, so it loves bright sunshine, well-drained soil, and warm conditions. That's why rosemary grows best in Zone 7 and above in the United States. You can get it to overwinter in Zone 6 with winter protection

If you live in a colder climate, you can still grow and enjoy rosemary plants. Grow them in pots or in the ground all summer long. In fall, dig up the plants in the ground and pot them up. Place the potted plants in a partly shaded area outdoors so they can get used to the lower light levels. Before a killing frost, bring the potted plants indoors and place them by a sunny, south-facing window in a warm room. Keep the plants watered. They may not grow much during the darkest days of winter, but the goal is only to get them to survive. In spring, bring them back outdoors.

While the most common varieties of rosemary, such as 'Tuscan Blue', have blue flowers, some other variations are worth a try; 'Spanish' rosemary has pink flowers and needle-like leaves. 'Arp' is considered one of the most cold-hardy varieties. 'Pine Scented' looks like a miniature Christmas tree and the leaves smell like pine trees.

When growing rosemary, amend the soil annually with compost and keep the plants well spaced. Crowded plants tend to be more susceptible to powdery mildew disease. Clip rosemary plants regularly to stimulate new, more flavorful shoots, even if you're not using them for cooking. This helps keep the plants bushy and manageable. When harvesting for cooking, cut whole stems back to a main or side branch. Harvest in the morning for best flavor.