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Rosemary illustration
Herbs · Perennial

Rosemary

Salvia rosmarinus

Evergreen aromatic sprigs with a preference for dry feet.

Make it part of your growing collection.

A LITTLE EVERYDAY CARE

Help it thrive.

A few things worth knowing.
01

Water for its stage

New plants need water during dry spells. Established plants in the ground need much less; pots still need checking for dryness.

02

Keep roots out of standing water

Use a freely draining site or container. Winter wet is particularly troublesome, and pots need open drainage holes.

03

Trim to stay compact

Give the plant a light annual trim after flowering to encourage a bushy shape. Sprigs can be picked for cooking throughout the year.

Care guide · RHSSource checked 14 Sept 2026 · Adapt timing to your climate and variety.
A PLACE TO THRIVE

Growing essentials.

Sunlight
6+ hours of sunSource-backed
Moisture
Drier soilSource interpretation
Soil pH
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Drainage
Free-drainingSource interpretation
Nutrients
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Soil texture
loam / sandSource interpretation
Plant spacing
≈ 60 cmPlanning estimate
Growing depth
≈ 35 cmPlanning estimate
Typical height
≈ 120 cmPlanning estimate
Growing season
warm-season / cool-seasonPlanning estimate

Source-backed preferences and planning estimates are labelled separately. Missing values are not treated as a match. Spacing and depth still depend on cultivar and growing method.

Data sources & uncertainty
Sunlight

Full sun is preferred. 6+ hours describes a category, not an upper tolerance limit.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Moisture

Qualitative moisture preference from the growing description; ordinal model, not a measured watering schedule.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Soil pH

No precise numeric pH range verified. Broad acid/neutral/alkaline tags are not converted into invented bounds.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Drainage

Free drainage is recommended; the ordinal distinction is an interpretation, not a measured drainage rate.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Nutrients

No comparable numeric nutrient requirement verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Soil texture

Listed or described textures are examples, not an exhaustive list of tolerances. Unlisted texture alone is not a hard exclusion.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Plant spacing

RHS gives at least 45 cm between plants and a pot at least 30 cm wide and deep. Mature shrubs need more space.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Growing depth

Approximate planning value; cultivar, growth stage and container form change the requirement.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Typical height

Approximate planning value; cultivar, growth stage and container form change the requirement.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Growing season

Broad growth preference only; excluded from scoring because no location or planting date is known.

Source · checked 2026-09-14