Rosemary, Rosmarinus. A fragrant evergreen shrub which thrives in Spain, Italy, the southern provinces of this kingdom, and several other hot countries of Europe. [1] It forms a branchy bush which is spreading rather than upright, though with careful management it can be made to grow to a height of 8-10 feet. Its leaves are firm, long, and narrow; they are dark green above and whitish beneath. The small, pale-blue flowers appear in April: they are long-lasting, and the shrub flowers again in autumn. This plant rarely seeds: the fruit resembles the mulberry in shape and size, and in hot countries it ripens in August.

Rosemary propagates readily from layers and cuttings. The branches should be laid out in spring, but the beginning of July is the best time for preparing cuttings from evergreens. Although this shrub can assume different forms, it is most suitable for forming hedges, which can be kept at a height of six feet by being pruned regularly at the beginning of July and September. These hedges are rich in foliage, and are good for sheltering garden sections which must be kept warm. The shrub is a little too tender for several of our inland provinces, where harsh winters frequently cause it to perish. Sometimes, however, its decay, though attributed to cold weather, is actually due to old age: rosemary lasts for 10-12 years, following which it should be replaced. It will last longer if it is planted in poor, dry, light, sandy soil, where it will not suffer as much from the cold, and will thrive and grow more rapidly than if it were planted in better soil. Moreover, young rosemary is more susceptible to frost: one sure means of protecting it is to make it take root in an old wall, where it will withstand the inclemencies of the open air. Rosemary requires no cultivation save that of being watered frequently if one wishes to accelerate its growth.

Rosemary has some uses: bees apparently prefer its flowers because they appear in spring, and are abundant, long-lasting, and strongly fragrant.

The flowers are also used in the composition of scent bags and pot- pourris, and form the basis of ‘eau de la reine d’Hongrie’. [2] Rosemary has many medicinal uses, and it is claimed that a tisane in which the leaves and flowers have been infused for twelve hours strengthens one’s memory and eyesight. The smoke from the dried plant is among the most effective fumigators.

Rosemary is now thought to be a commonplace and lowly shrub. Its fragrance, while aromatic, is tolerated only by common people. Some varieties are however fine enough to be included in the richest collections.

Here are the different known varieties of rosemary.

1. Rosemary with narrow leaves: it is to this species that the above description particularly applies. [3]

2. Rosemary with narrow, variegated leaves. [4] This is a striking cultivar: its leaves are speckled with bright yellow spots, as though they were sprinkled with gold dust, and they are narrower than the leaves of common rosemary. This cultivar flowers earlier and is slightly more delicate than common rosemary.

3. Silver rosemary. This is the finest cultivar: the leaves are so well marked that it looks from a distance as though they were coated with silver. It is the finest, rarest, and most delicate rosemary.

4. Almeria rosemary: this rosemary is shorter than common rosemary. Its leaves are smaller and whiter, and have an even more unpleasant smell. The flowers, which grow in spikes at the tips of the branches, are deep violet. [5]

5. Broad-leaved rosemary: this shrub grows to only two or three feet. Its branches are not as ligneous as those of common rosemary and its leaves are thicker, rougher, and of a darker green. It is extremely widespread in the vicinity of Narbonne.

6. Rosemary with broad, variegated leaves: this is a rare and little- known shrub.

Notes

1. From Latin ‘ros’, meaning dew, and ‘marinus’, after its maritime habitat. In English, the Latin name became ‘rose’ of ‘Mary’ (Huxley et al., 1992, iv.135; Skeat, 1994, p. 406).

2. This is usually composed of three parts alcoholic extract of rosemary and one part alcoholic extract of lavender (Harris, pers. comm.).

3. Rosmarinus officinalis, of which all the plants listed here are cultivars (ibid.).

4. Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Aureus’.

5. Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ (Harris, pers. comm.).