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How to Grow Rosemary: Planting, Pruning, and Harvesting This Hardy Herb

green rosemary bush, many branches are randomly arranged. fresh seasoning
Photo Credit
Andrei Metelev
Botanical Name
Salvia rosmarinus (aka Rosmarinus officinalis)
Plant Type
Herbs
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Blue
Purple
Hardiness Zone
7
8
9
10
11

Discover how to plant, grow, and care for rosemary—a fragrant, drought-tolerant herb perfect for pots or garden beds in warm climates.

Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Looking to add some flavor to your garden and your dinner? Rosemary’s got you covered. This hardy herb is an overachiever of the plant world—aromatic, drought-tolerant, bee-friendly, and stylish enough to double as landscaping. Whether you’re planting it in pots or the ground, we’ll show you how to grow, prune, and harvest rosemary like a seasoned pro!

About Rosemary

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a compact, small to medium-sized woody shrub; there’s also a trailing variety. This shrubby herb is a type of sage and grows well with other Mediterranean herbs, such as lavender and thyme. It has lovely blue flowers as well, attracting pollinators!

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Drought-tolerant, rosemary grows best in warm areas, similar to its native shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In these conditions, rosemary can grow into a shrub 5 to 10 feet in height. Rosemary grows so vigorously in ideal conditions that it needs yearly pruning to keep it bushy.

This herb can be grown in the ground or in a pot. If you live in Zones 7 and warmer, it grows easily as a perennial evergreen shrub that lives for many years. Rosemary is hardy down to 15° to 23°F (-10° to -5°C), so it may need winter protection. In colder areas, rosemary should be grown in a pot and brought indoors for the winter.

When growing rosemary as a culinary herb, it’s best to harvest it in the spring and summer when it’s actively putting on new growth. Rosemary is a compact woody shrub. While all the leaves are technically edible, we usually only eat the tender leaves that form at the tips of new branches.

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Planting

Plant in full sun in fast-draining soil; rosemary won’t tolerate being constantly wet. Ideally, the soil should be relatively fertile (mix in compost prior to planting to increase nutrient levels).

When to Plant Rosemary

  • Plant rosemary in spring well after the frosts have passed, once the soil is starting to warm up (around 70ºF or 21°C). In warmer climates, plant in spring or fall.
  • Most gardeners start rosemary from young plants bought at a nursery. This plant does not germinate easily from seed and seedlings are slow to grow.
  • However, if you have access to an established rosemary plant, rosemary is very easily started from cuttings.
  • If you wish to grow from seed indoors, just be aware it will take several years to grow the plant large enough to start harvesting.
  • Start seeds or cuttings indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost. (See your local frost dates.) 

How to Plant Rosemary

  • Rosemary grows well in the ground or in containers. However, it does not like wet roots, so if your soil is heavy or wet, plant it in a pot or a raised bed. Also, rosemary does not transplant well from ground to container, so start in a pot if you plan to bring it inside (especially in colder climates).
  • Before planting in the ground, mix in several inches of organic matter, such as compost, to create nutritious, fertile soil.
  • In a pot, use a container mix, as rosemary needs a lighter-weight soil mix.
  • Space starter plants 2 to 3 feet apart; rosemary does not like being crowded.
  • If starting seeds or cuttings indoors, keep the soil moist while seeds germinate and roots develop. Seeds can take a long time to germinate (2 to 3 weeks), so don’t give up right away! Plant outside once the plant is 4 inches tall.

Rosemary plant with purple flowers

Growing

  • Keep the soil uniformly moist, allowing it to dry out between waterings. Be consistent; be careful not to overwater.
  • Rosemary shrubs growing in the ground do not need fertilizer, but a potted plant will run out of nutrition more quickly, so feed with an all-purpose balanced fertilizer after flowering.
  • Mulch the shrubs to keep plants insulated in winter, but keep mulch away from the crown of the plant to avoid rotting.
  • Prune annually before new growth begins in the spring, and prune out dead wood. Don’t prune the rosemary too heavily.
  • If you leave rosemary unpruned, it can get very woody, leggy, and straggly. After about 5 years, it’s best to replace it.
  • Be sure to get cuttings or divide the plant for next season if it won’t survive winter in your area.
  • During the winter, bring potted rosemary plants inside. Learn how to overwinter rosemary indoors.

Rosemary plants

Harvesting

  • While rosemary is an evergreen that can be harvested at any time, it’s best to harvest young stems and leaves for the freshest taste. The plant puts on soft new tips in the spring and summer.
  • The leaves and stems get tougher and more woody as they age. The older tips are best for infusing things with flavor or scent, rather than eating. Try making rosemary vinegar!
  • Even the flowers are edible, with a slightly sweeter flavor. Add to salads or dishes as a garnish.
  • Snip off stems, while keeping an eye on maintaining an attractive shape to the plant. Don’t harvest more than a third of the rosemary at any one time.
  • To dry rosemary, hang it upside down in bunches in a dark, warm place. Once stems are dry, strip the leaves from them and store in a sealed jar.

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Pests/Diseases

  • Aerial blight
  • Bacterial leaf spots
  • Several types of root rot

Wit and Wisdom

  • In the garden, plant rosemary near beans, cabbage, carrots, and sage. Learn more about companion planting with herbs.
  • Rosemary tea is said to enhance one’s memory. Wear a sprig of rosemary in your hair to improve your memory.
  • In the language of flowers, rosemary symbolizes remembrance.
  • A sprig of lavender or rosemary under your ironing board cover will release its fragrance with the heat.

The Many Uses of Rosemary

Enjoy this video showing the rosemary plant—and its many uses as a helper in the garden, kitchen, and healing home!

Recipes
Rosemary Chicken With Spinach
Cornbread with Pine Nuts and Rosemary
Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Garlic and Rosemary
Rosemary Vinegar

Cooking Notes

Rosemary is wonderful with roast lamb, pork, chicken, pasta, and vegetables (such as carrots) as well as in sauces, soups, and stews. 

After drying, rosemary makes a lovely tea to aid digestion. You can also use it to infuse vinegar or olive oil, as well as flavor butter. 

Herbs
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the website companion of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She covers gardening, plants, pest control, soil composition, seasonal and moon c...
Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Paula Plishka</span> Wed, 01/15/2014 - 20:05
I received a very nice hardy nice smelling rosemary tree for Christmas. I have never had one and had to look up how to care for it. I am in WI so it will not be outside..inside plant. It is starting to dry up :-( I have it in an East window and it gets all the morning sun. I don't have a West or north (suggested) window. I try to water it once a week. It feels pretty dry between. And I mist it every day or every few days as suggested. Is there any saving it?? I wouldn't use it for cooking but for looks and the smell! Thanks! I am wondering about re-potting it into a bigger pot but unsure at type of soil to use or if I can even find soil anywhere here in January!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 01/16/2014 - 10:10

Hi Paula,

Make sure to keep the plant in a cool room and not close to heating vents or radiators. Try watering the rosemary from the bottom. Fill a saucer with water and set the pot in the saucer. We also recommend that you mist the plant daily or place it next to a humidifier. If you decide to repot use soil that drains well or mix sand into regular potting soil. A soilless potting mix also works well.

 <span>Paula Plishka</span> Thu, 01/16/2014 - 12:26
Thank you. I have it in the kitchen but not near a vent or heat. I set it in front of a window which is cool. It is in a plastic pot and that is in a steel bucket (for decorative purposes. Maybe I should take it out of the bucket and put it in a saucer and put water in the saucer (or pie tin)? I hope its not too late to save as its beautiful and smells great! If it is okay where it is I won't repot...I have no reason to. Just curious if that would help it live! I do mist it daily to keep it humid and it is with other plants and I heard that also will help the humidity factor. Thank you!
<span>Paula Plishka</span> Wed, 01/22/2014 - 10:27
I did put in a pie tin and watered it from the bottom up and it drank it all up. Now most of it is all dried up:-( I am not sure its salvageable at this point. I put it in the window, mist it every day. I live in WI which is cold anyhow so maybe it isn't going to make it.
<span>Paula Plishka</span> Thu, 01/23/2014 - 09:22
Can you tell me if there is any salvaging this tree?I wonder if I cut off all the dried parts (which wouldn't leave much) if fresh "leaves" would come in?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 01/24/2014 - 13:51

There is no harm in pruning the dry branches. You may be lucky and get some new growth.

 <span>Smoody</span> Mon, 01/05/2015 - 21:18
I too have a "Christmas Tree" rosemary plant that is loosing many dried leaves. Can I use those for cooking, while trying to save the plant?
<span>Paula Plishka</span> Fri, 02/21/2014 - 09:29
I am not sure how to prune this "tree". I think it is mostly dead. I broke off a branch and it wasn't green inside so I believe it is pretty dead.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 02/25/2014 - 12:32

Cut off all the dead branches and wait a couple of weeks to see if any new growth will appear. If not you need to put it in the compost and start over again.

 <span>Paula Plishka</span> Sat, 02/08/2014 - 15:14
How do I prune this?At this point it isn't going to hurt it as I have very little live stuff left :-( Do I just take off all the dead "leaves" (they aren't really leaves, but you know what I mean). I can just take my hand and run it down the branches and the dried things just fall off. I need to know how or what to do before I just toss the whole thing in the garbage! Thanks.