Salvia rosmarinus

Commonly known as rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis is a small shrub from the Mediterranean basin belonging to the Lamiaceae family.

Beyond its many culinary and medicinal uses, it has long been believed to purify the air and ward off evil spirits, and in Mediterranean traditions it was often burned as incense.

Depending on the region and its natural habitat, Rosmarinus officinalis has developed local variations in terms of hardiness, growth habit, and flowering patterns.

Floral Morphology

The plant flowers in spring and summer in temperate climates, but the plants can be in constant bloom in warm climates; flowers are white, pink, purple or deep blue.

The branches are dotted with groups of 2 to 3 flowers down its length.

Rosmarinus officinalis also has a tendency to flower outside its normal flowering season; it has been known to flower as late as early December

The plant can live as long as 35 years - I've known one that was older than me today - it was 40!

Rosemary has a fibrous root system- an adaptation to poor or dry soils and rocky terrain.