Salvia rosmarinus,synonymRosmarinus officinalis, commonly known asrosemary, is a shrub with fragrant,evergreen, needle-like leaves and purple or sometimes white, pink, or blue flowers. It is a member of the sage family,Lamiaceae.
Rosemary leavesS. rosmarinus 'Prostratus'Cross-section of woody stem ofSalvia rosmarinus (MHNT)
Rosemary has afibrous root system.[3] It forms an aromaticevergreen shrub with leaves similar toTsuga needles. Forms range from upright to trailing;[3] the upright forms can reach between 1.2–1.8 metres (4–6 ft) tall.[4] The leaves are evergreen, 2–4 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) long and2–5 mm (1⁄16–3⁄16 in) broad, green above, and white below, with dense, short, woolly hair.[3]
This plant flowers in spring and summer intemperate climates, but the plants can be in constant bloom in warm climates; flowers are white, pink, purple, or deep blue.[3] The branches are dotted with groups of 2 to 3 flowers down their length.[4] Rosemary also tends to flower outside its normal flowering season; it has been known to flower as late as early December, and as early as mid-February (in the Northern Hemisphere).[5] The plant can live as long as 35 years.[6]
Elizabeth Kent noted in herFlora Domestica (1823), "The botanical name of this plant is compounded of twoLatin words [ros marinus], signifying Sea-dew; and indeed Rosemary thrives best by the sea."[12][13][14]
Rosemary came to England at an unknown date, though it is likely that the Romans brought it when theyinvaded Britain in 43 CE. Even so, there are no viable records containing rosemary in Britain until the 8th century CE. This mention was in a document which was later credited toCharlemagne, who promoted the general usage of herbs and ordered rosemary specifically to be grown in monastic gardens and farms.[20]
There are no records of rosemary being properly naturalized in Britain until 1338, when cuttings were sent toQueen Philippa by her mother,Countess Joan of Hainault.[21][22] It was then planted in the garden of the old palace of Westminster. Since then, rosemary can be found in most English herbal texts.[23]
Rosemary finally arrived in the Americas with early European settlers in the beginning of the 17th century, and was soon spread to South America and distributed globally.[3]
It is reasonably hardy in cool climates. Special cultivars like 'Arp' can withstand winter temperatures down to about −20 °C (−4 °F).[24] It can withstand droughts, surviving a severe lack of water for lengthy periods.[25] It is considered a potentiallyinvasive species and its seeds are often difficult to start, with a low germination rate.[26]
Since it is attractive and drought-tolerant, rosemary is used as an ornamental plant in gardens and forxeriscape landscaping, especially in regions ofMediterranean climate.[3] It is considered easy to grow and pest-resistant. Rosemary can grow quite large and retain attractiveness for many years, can be pruned into formal shapes and low hedges, and has been used fortopiary. It is easily grown in pots. Thegroundcover cultivars spread widely, with a dense and durable texture.[3]
In order to harvest from the plant, the bush should be matured 2–3 years to ensure it is large enough to withstand it.[4] The amount harvested should not exceed 20% of the growth in order to preserve the plant.[4]
Fresh or dried leaves are used in traditionalMediterranean cuisine, having anaroma of pine which complements many cooked foods.[34][35]Herbal tea can be made from the leaves. In some cooking, the woody stem, stripped of its leaves, is used as askewer.[34]
Rosemaryextract, specifically the type mainly consisting of carnosic acid and carnosol, is approved as a food preservative in several countries, havingE number E392.[36]
Hungary water, dating to the 14th century, was one of the first alcohol-based perfumes in Europe, and was primarily made from distilled rosemary.[37] Rosemary oil is used in perfumes, shampoos, cleaning products, andaromatherapy.[3][35]
Rosemary was considered sacred to ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks.[35] It was written about byPliny the Elder (23–79 CE)[39] andPedanius Dioscorides (c. 40 CE to c. 90 CE), a Greek botanist (amongst other things). The latter talked about rosemary in his most famous writing,De Materia Medica, one of the most influential herbal books in history.[40]
Several Shakespeare plays refer to the use of rosemary in burial or memorial rites. InShakespeare'sHamlet,Ophelia says, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember."[41] It likewise appears in Shakespeare'sWinter's Tale in Act 4 Scene 4, where Perdita talks about "Rosemary and Rue".[42] In Act 4 Scene 5 ofRomeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence admonishes the Capulet household to "stick your rosemary on this fair corse, and as the custom is, and in her best array, bear her to church."[citation needed] It is also said that "In the language of flowers it means 'fidelity in love.'"[43]
Rosemary is one of the four herbs mentioned in the refrain of the folk song "Scarborough Fair."
In the Spanish fairy taleThe Sprig of Rosemary, the heroine touches the hero with the titular sprig of rosemary in order to restore his magically lost memory.[45]
The plant has been used as a symbol for remembrance during war commemorations and funerals in Europe and Australia.[46] Mourners would throw it into graves as a symbol of remembrance for the dead. In Australia, sprigs of rosemary are worn onANZAC Day and sometimesRemembrance Day to signify remembrance; the herb grows wild on theGallipoli Peninsula, where many Australians died during World War I.[46]
Rosemary is used inDanube Swabian culture for christenings, weddings, burials and festivals; for example, an apple with a sprig of rosemary in it is used forKirchweih celebrations.[47]
^abDrew, Bryan T.; González-Gallegos, Jesús Guadalupe; Xiang, Chun-Lei; Kriebel, Ricardo; Drummond, Chloe P.; Walker, Jay B.; Sytsma, Kenneth J. (2017). "Salvia united: The greatest good for the greatest number".Taxon.66 (1):133–145.Bibcode:2017Taxon..66..133D.doi:10.12705/661.7.S2CID90993808.
^Federal Register.Volume 52, Issues 13-20 - Page 2228. Retrieved on 6 Oct. 2023. "Mature rosemary approaches senescence at an age of 30-35 years…it releases toxic chemicals into the soil that inhibit or prevent the growth of most other plants, resulting in areas of relatively bare, open sand between the shrubs."
^Alain Touwaide; Emanuela Appetiti (April 2023)."Herbs in History: Rosemary - Losing One's Mind". American Herbal Products Association,Silver Spring, MD.There (2.213), Virgil mentions rosemary as a pasture for bees. Curiously, he does not use the termrosmarinus, but onlyros
^P. Vergilius Maro."Georgicon Verg. G. 2. 177-225". In J. B. Greenough (ed.).Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics Of Vergil. Boston.Ginn & Co. 1900.Nam ieiuna quidem clivosi glarea ruris vix humilis apibus casias roremque ministrat; et tophus scaber et nigris exesa chelydris creta negant alios aeque serpentibus agros dulcem ferre cibum et curvas praebere latebras.
^A Brief History of Thyme and other Herbs by Miranda Seymour, 2002, p.96
^Tucker, Arthur O.; Maciarello, Michael J. (September 1986). "The essential oils of some rosemary cultivars".Flavour and Fragrance Journal.1 (4–5):137–142.doi:10.1002/ffj.2730010402.
^Shepherd, Lizz. The Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Flowers, Fruits, and Herbs from Containers.Page 127. Retrieved on 6 Oct. 2023. "Rosemary seeds can be hard to start, with a slow germinating time and a low germination rate, which means many seeds do not develop into plants."
^Vallverdú-Queralt, Anna; Regueiro, Jorge; Martínez-Huélamo, Miriam; et al. (2014). "A comprehensive study on the phenolic profile of widely used culinary herbs and spices: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, cumin and bay".Food Chemistry.154:299–307.Bibcode:2014FoodC.154..299V.doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.12.106.PMID24518346.
^Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, trans. John Bostock (London: Taylor and Francis, 1855)
^Pedanius Dioscorides of Anazarbos (2000). Osbaldeston, Tess Anne (ed.).De materia medica: Being an herbal with many other medicinal matters. Written in Greek in the first century of the common era. Johannesburg: IBIDIS.ISBN0-620-23435-0.
^Shakespeare, William (11 January 2019)."Hamlet, Scene 13". Internet Shakespeare.
^Shakespeare, William (2005).The Winter's Tale. Simon & Schuster. p. 139.
^Brewer, E. Cobham,Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 14th ed., London: Cassel, Petter, Galpin, and Co., no date [1880 per Google Books], p. 765.
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