Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
An evergreen kitchen and pollinator shrub for hot, dry, sharp-draining edges — aromatic, useful and near-indestructible in the right spot. It rots in wet soil and sulks if cut hard.
Rosemary in a syntropic line
Rosemary belongs in the Shrub layer as a Secondary productive species. Support species, fruit, and nitrogen fixers under the canopy. Rough in-row spacing starts around 1.5 m in a syntropic row. Good line partners include Casuarina, Leucaena. As a Secondary species it carries mid-term yield and structure while climax trees slowly claim the canopy.
Tolerances and growing conditions
- Strata
- Shrub
- Lifecycle
- Secondary
- Soil preference
- Sandy, Rocky
- Soil pH range
- 6 – 8
- Min. temperature
- -12°C
- Min. rainfall
- 350 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- Medium
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Irrigation needed
- Low
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Waterlogging tolerance
- Low
- Origin
- Mediterranean
- Native to Portugal
- Yes
How to manage it
Evergreen culinary and pollinator sub-shrub for hot dry edges; shear lightly after flowering to keep it compact and avoid cutting into old bare wood.
How to propagate
Take softwood cuttings in spring or hardwood in autumn; both root readily.
Guidance, not a guarantee — success varies by species and skill.
What to watch out for
Forms a woody 1–1.5 m bush, not a creeper. Rots in wet or heavy soil and won't resprout from hard cuts into old wood.
Frequently asked questions about Rosemary
Is rosemary frost-hardy?
Yes for winter cold in many climates — generally hardy to around -12°C when dormant, with medium frost tolerance in the catalog. Flowering crops can still lose a season to late frost, so site them carefully.
What soil does rosemary need?
It does best on sandy, rocky ground, at pH about 6–8.
How much water does rosemary need?
Plan for a rainfall floor around 350 mm/year, plus low irrigation once established.
Can rosemary handle wet or waterlogged soil?
Poorly — rosemary has low waterlogging tolerance, so keep it off winter-wet clay and standing water.
What should I watch out for with rosemary?
Forms a woody 1–1.5 m bush, not a creeper. Rots in wet or heavy soil and won't resprout from hard cuts into old wood.
Rosemary in soil templates
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