Spotlight: Rosemary

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A friend for life! Rosemary is a perennial shrub with a possible lifespan of up to 35 years! Take care of your Rosemary and she will take care of you! Not only will you benefit from the usual camaraderie and well-being associated with caring for plants, Rosemary has much more to offer.

Cooking with Rosemary

As a seasoning, Rosemary is among the very best. Excellent with roasted potatoes, chicken, and steak to name a few. In particular, we recommend Wolfgang Puck’s Rosemary-infused ribeye steak (as seen on The Chef Show). In cocktails, Rosemary dazzles with its herbaceous woodsy notes. It’s perfect as both a summer and winter flavour. There’s just nothing else quite like it.

Nutritionally, Rosemary is high in Manganese, Vitamin B5, Niacin, Thiamin, Folate, and Riboflavin. All of which support our body’s regular healthy functioning.

Rosemary in herbal medicine

In traditional herbal medicine, Rosemary has many uses, a growing number of which have now been proven by modern science. It contains carnosic acid (an antioxidant) and rosmarinic acids with antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

Inhaling Rosemary oil has been shown to improve concentration and memory because it increases the cellular uptake of oxygen. Preliminary research also suggests a correlation between inhaling Rosemary oil and improved sleep quality and lowered anxiety.

As a mild circulatory stimulant, Rosemary has a long history of being used to help with problems associated with the cardiovascular system. Rosemary is often recommended to ease headaches and migraines. It is also said to relieve some symptoms of mild depression.

Rosemary is also a digestive aid, improving metabolism and even warming those of us who feel cold all the time. Try steeping a sprig of Rosemary in hot water when you’re feeling a little low next winter and see if it doesn’t cheer you up just a bit.

Caring for Rosemary plants

Rosemary is hardy from Zone 7 and above, so colder growing zones will have to bring her inside during winter.

Place Rosemary in the sunniest window you have. Leave a drying-out period between thorough waterings (but be careful not to let the soil dry out completely). Water in the morning because Rosemary hates cold wet feet. If your home is very dry in the winter, as most of ours are here in Canada, spray her with a mister once or twice a week.

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