Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs. The name “rosemary” derives from the Latin for ‘dew’ (ros) and ‘sea’ (marinus), or ‘dew of the sea’. The plant is also sometimes called anthos, from the ancient Greek word ἄνθος, meaning “flower”. It is closely related to lavender, oregano and basil and just like them – it is often used as spice. Rosemary can be used for the preparation of salty and sweet dishes. Besides for cooking, rosemary is widely used in cosmetics and medicine. Rosemary is often cultivated for ornamental purposes.
| Name | Rosemary |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Rosmarinus officinalis |
| Native | South of France and other Mediterranean regions |
| Common/English Name | Polar plant, compass-weed, or compass plant. |
| Name in Other Languages | English: common rosemary Mexico: guixi cicanaca yala-rillaa Spanish: romero Netherlands: rozemarijn French: incensier Turkey: biberiye Middle East: iklil Chinese: mi die xiang Portuguese: rosmaninho Germany: Garten- Rosmarin Sweden: rosmarin Haiti: lonmarin Russian Federation: biberiye India: rasmari Portugal: alecrim Italy: osmarini Philippines: dumero Japan: mannenrû |
| Plant Growth Habit | Evergreen perennial bush |
| Growing Climate | Open, sunny position with good drainage |
| Soil | Thrive in a light, well-drained, average garden soil |
| Plant Size | 1.5-3 meters in height. |
| Root | Deep, woody taproot |
| Stem | Indistinctly quadrangular, finely grey pubescent. |
| Leaf Shape and Size | Usually 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long and 2–5 mm broad, narrow, needle-like aromatic leaves; |
| Leaf Color | Upper side of leaves is darker green in color. Lower side is grayish in color with dense, short, woolly hair. |
| Leaf Flavor | Bold flavor |
| Leaf Taste | Warmer, bitter, and more astringent taste |
| Flower | Produces small white, purple, pink or blue flowers depending to the climate. |
| Flowering Season | April to June and often again from September |
| Seed | Two tiny seeds |
| Varieties/Types |
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| Major Nutrition | Iron, Fe 0.11 mg (1.38%) Manganese, Mn 0.016 mg (0.70%) Copper, Cu 0.005 mg (0.56%) Total dietary Fiber 0.2 g (0.53%) Calcium, Ca 5 mg (0.50%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 2 µg (0.50%) Magnesium, Mg 2 mg (0.48%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.006 mg (0.46%) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 0.4 mg (0.44%) Total Fat (lipid) 0.1 g (0.29%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in 1 tbsp (1.7 g) | 2 K cal |