Rosemary

Salvia rosmarinus

Growth Potential

Height: 2-4 feet | Width: 2-4 feet

A fragrant evergreen herb that shrugs off the heat

Rosemary is a tough evergreen herb that thrives in North Texas heat and sun. Its needle-like leaves are fragrant year-round, and small blue flowers appear in spring and sometimes again in fall.

It works both as a kitchen herb and as a low-water landscape shrub, and deer usually leave it alone.

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

Best Area to Plant

Location:

  • Sunny herb and vegetable beds
  • Low-water foundation plantings
  • Containers on patios
  • Along walkways where the fragrance can be enjoyed

Placement:

Plant in full sun, 2 to 3 feet apart, in very well-drained soil. In heavy clay, plant on a mound or in a raised bed. Keep it away from sprinkler zones that stay wet, since soggy roots are the main thing that kills it.

Care Instructions

  • Light:

    Requires full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours a day.

  • Water:

    Water regularly the first season, then very little. Established plants are drought tolerant, and overwatering is a bigger risk than underwatering.

  • Maintenance:

    Low maintenance. Trim lightly after flowering to keep it shapely and harvest sprigs as needed. Avoid cutting into old bare wood. Upright types are usually hardy here, but protect it in a very hard freeze.