Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Also called Rosmarinus officinalis
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitA Mediterranean shrub. It dies of wet feet far more often than of drought.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 10 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Every 60 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 2 m tall · 2 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- Mediterranean
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsSafe for pets
PeopleIrritates skin
Safe to eat: leaves.
HandlingTake care handling it
RHS lists it as a skin allergen.
Checked against ASPCA, RHS and Johnny's Selected Seeds on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Metallic green-and-purple striped beetles about 8mm long sitting openly on the shoot tips from late summer, with short notches bitten out of the needles beneath them.Rosemary beetle · pest
- One whole branch turns dull grey-green and dry while the rest of the bush is still fresh, and that stem is dark and loose where it enters the soil.Foot and root rot · disease