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Herb
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
A tough evergreen Mediterranean herb that thrives on little water in Adelaide's hot dry summers. It needs full sun and excellent drainage; wet feet kill it faster than drought. Its winter flowers feed bees when little else is flowering.
- SunFull sun
- Spacing90 cm apart
- First pick9–13 weeks
- FrostFrost hardy
- HeatHandles heat well
When to plant where you live
Checking your area…
Add rosemary to my gardenVarieties (3)
- Miss Jessopp's UprightTall, narrow form for screens and small hedges
- Prostrate rosemaryTrailing habit for walls, pots and banks
- Tuscan BlueUpright with broad leaves and strong flavour; good for hedging
Neighbours
Grows well with
From seed to plate
Plant
90 cm apart. Full sun.
Water
Very little once established.
Feed
None needed.
Pick, from about 9 weeks
Snip sprigs any time.
Good to know
- Pick sprigs any time; regular picking keeps it compact
- Take cuttings in spring or autumn to replace old plants
Common problems
- Root rot in heavy or wet soilplant on a mound or in pots with gritty mix
- Woody, bare centretrim lightly after flowering, but don't cut into old bare wood
- Rosemary beetle or scalepick off by hand; prune out badly affected stems
If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.
Guides
Wildlife
Good for: bees.
Where this information comes from
- Wikipedia: Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, syn. Rosmarinus officinalis) (botanical name, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- ABC Gardening Australia: Mediterranean Mashup (uses Salvia rosmarinus) (botanical name, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- ABC Gardening Australia fact sheets (growing, low confidence)
- ABC Gardening Australia plant finder: Rosmarinus (growing, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- Sustainable Gardening Australia: planting guides (sowing window, low confidence)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: Rosemary (non-toxic) (toxicity, high confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.