Plant Review - Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

          Ah Rosemary!  Doesn’t the thought of that wonderful plant just make your mouth water?  Rosemary Chicken, Beef with Rosemary, Cornish Game Hens with Garlic & Rosemary.  Of all the drought tolerant plants that do well in San Diego, Rosemary is the most versatile.  Beautiful blue flowers in the winter, good for slopes and flat areas, full sun to part shade under trees, Rosemary is one of my favorite plants.

          There are basically 3 types of Rosemary.  The first is Tuscan Blue Rosemary.  This is the variety ordered by chefs in great restaurants.  ‘Tuscan Blue’ is the most flavorful of all the rosemary varieties.  It is however, also the tallest.  Coming in at a robust 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide, ‘Tuscan Blue’ is also the largest.   Next are the medium sized varieties.  ‘Ingram’ and ‘Lockwood de Forrest’ grow about 4 feet and wide.  The last type of rosemary is the prostrate variety.  ‘Huntington Carpet’ reaches 18 inches tall and 6 feet wide and is great for slopes. Rosemary is a great plant for areas that receive full sun during some part of the year and shade during other parts of the year (such as under deciduous trees).  Walter Andersen Nursery also sells a pink rosemary that does well in a container.

          Here is a link to some recipes for using all that Rosemary.  Enjoy!

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Rosemary-An-Herb-to-Remember/Detail.aspx