Digging deeperPlant Library

Trailing Rosemary

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Trailing Rosemary flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Description:

A dense groundcover variety, with narrow green needle-like foliage and pretty mauve-lilac flowers in spring on a low spreading form; leaves are a mainstay for cooking and as garnish, wonderful to grow in a container or rock garden

Edible Qualities

Trailing Rosemary is an annual herb that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. The fragrant green needle-like leaves are usually harvested from early to mid summer. The leaves have a sharp taste and a pungent fragrance.

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Drying
• Seasoning

Planting & Growing

Trailing Rosemary will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 8 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant is quite ornamental as well as edible, and is as much at home in a landscape or flower garden as it is in a designated herb garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Trailing Rosemary is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.