FoodFood InformationHerbs&Spice
ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis)
There are several varieties of Rosmarinus officinalis that grow between
2 and 6 feet high (depending on variety) and can be used for ground covers
and hedges. The leaves of all varieties are narrow and needle' like (similar
to pine needles) and are glossy green on the top and a lighter, gray green
underneath. Their aroma is resinous and pine like. Small clusters of light
lavender' blue flowers 1/2 inch wide cover the foliage in summer and spring,
although you nearly always will find a few flowers throughout the rest of
the year. With age, the stems be come woody and gnarled, giving plants a
rugged appearance.
Rosemary has several associations with the Virgin Mary. The flowers are
said to have received their color when she placed her sky blue cloak over
a rosemary bush to dry after washing it. It is also thought that she sought
cover behind a bush of rosemary while fleeing to Egypt. Boughs of rosemary
have had many uses in the past. They were carried at weddings and placed
on coffins at funerals. Because the fragrance was thought to be disinfectant,
rosemary branches were strewn on the floors of prisons and courts of justice
to counteract the diseases that prisoners carried. The ancient Greeks and
Romans burned the leaves as incense. Rosemary also was used to prevent balding
and to condition hair. The leaves were sometimes placed under pillows to
prevent nightmares. Rosemary is also the herb of memory, and the leaves
were supposed to quicken the mind and prevent forgetfulness.
Where winters are mild enough, rosemary is an outstanding shrubby perennial
for permanent landscape use. Where it would winter kill outdoors, grow it
in containers and bring plants inside during the cold months. The variety
'Prostratus' is the lowest growing-to about 2 feet-and makes an excellent
ground cover or low hedge. Its branches twist and curve and will gracefully
spill over a wall or creep around rocks. Rigid, upright branches and darker
blue flowers are typical of 'Tuscan Blue'. The varieties 'Collingwood Ingram'
and 'Lock' wood de Forest' both have bluer flowers than the species and
are lower growing. Rosemary will endure poor soil, as long as it is well
drained, and hot sun. Except in very hot climates, it requires little water
once it is established. It responds well to container culture and can be
grown indoors.
Use the leaves fresh or dried with chicken, meats (especially lamb), stews,
and vegetables. A tea can also be brewed from them. Use a branch of rosemary
as a brush for applying barbecue sauce to chicken and burn sprigs in the
coals just before the chicken is done-the smoke will impart rosemary's characteristic
flavor to the meat.