Rosemary Description
 A
common ingredient in culinary dishes, Rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial
herb. It is very woody in texture, and its needle-like
evergreen leaves have a very strong fragrance. The Mediterranean
is the original home of Rosemary.
The Rosemary plant is actually a member of the Lamiaceae
family (mint), along with many other different
herbs. It is common to find Rosemary growing by the
sea, which is how it got the name "dew of the sea",
derived from the Latin word rosmarinus, or 'dew' (ros),
and 'sea' (marinus).
Rosemary is considered a good beginner
gardening plant, and are especially good to grow in
Mediterranean-type weather conditions. As such, there
are many cultivars. These rosemary cultivars grow in
many different ways, from low trailing plants to tall
erect versions. The upright variations can grow to 1.5
m tall, and have grown to 2 m tall, but is rare.
As mentioned, Rosemary leaves are evergreen. They grow
to be about 2 - 4 cm long and only a few millimeters
wide. They are green coloured on top, but the undersides
are more white. Rosemary can also flower,
and the plant does so in the late winter or spring.
Flowers can be blue, purple, white or pink shaded.
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