Plant Finder

Moana Nursery High Desert Plant Finder & Guide

Description:

An exceptionally hardy variety with narrow grayish green needle-like foliage, and pale blue flowers in spring; leaves are a mainstay for cooking and as garnish; hardy, drought tolerant, and easy to care for; thrives in poor soil that is well drained

Edible Qualities

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

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Drying
• Seasoning

Features & Attributes

Salem Rosemary features dainty spikes of lightly-scented powder blue flowers at the ends of the branches from late spring to mid summer. It has attractive grayish green evergreen foliage. The fragrant needles are highly ornamental and remain grayish green throughout the winter.

This is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen woody herb with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Salem Rosemary is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Topiary
• Herb Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Salem Rosemary will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This woody herb 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 may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. 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 applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Salem Rosemary is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, this plant may be too tender to survive the winter if left outdoors in a container. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.