Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), an evergreen herb from the Mediterranean, is considered easy to grow in our central Texas climate and well suited to our drought conditions. Rosmarinus means Dew of the Sea in Latin, a reference to the small amounts of water needed to sustain growth.
Wikipedia lists at least 20 forms of this amazing herb, from groundcovers to large varieties reaching heights of 4 feet. Most rosemary blooms a deep blue color throughout the year but can be found in white, pink, and purple. Leaves can be small or quite large and wide. A variety called Goriza has the largest leaves that I have seen.
Full sun to part shade will sustain this perennial evergreen shrub. Just as important is a well drained location. Rosemary doesn’t care much for wet feet.
Last year brought a few new surprises to the world of rosemary. This beautiful and important culinary herb – which is also a member of the mint family – has two new additions to the myriad of varieties available.
Before I received some cuttings of the first one – called Bar-B-Que – I thought it was going to smell like the Salt Lick over in Driftwood! As it turns out, it has the pine scent of rosemary and a growth habit that’s strongly upright, producing great skewers for the barbecue.
The second addition is called Foxtail. This semi-dwarf variety grows to two feet by two feet with dense foliage resembling a foxtail ... very similar to the leaves of a foxtail asparagus fern. This variety will look good as a border plant, a basket plant, or just an unusual specimen in the landscape.
With their long blooming season, the rosemaries are excellent bee plants and are also considered attractive by butterflies. I can only imagine a honey flavored by rosemary.
Rosemaries are fun to grow and fun to collect as well as being useful in the kitchen. We are always looking out for a new variety.
Happy gardening everyone... and thanks for the rains!
If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to [email protected]. Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 www.itsaboutthyme.com
