Christmas Botany Series- Rosemary, part II

Generally available in garden centers in spring, rosemary can be propagated by seed and vegetatively. Spring plants in small pots should be priced about the same as most other herbs. It is often sold as a Holiday Rosemary Tree. These trees are closely sheared to attain the traditional conical Christmas tree shape, often to the point of being unsightly. Rosemary is a free spirit of a plant and seems to resent being molded so closely. Its natural free form habit with spiraling, dipping, wispy branching is much more to my liking.

If one must keep it closely cropped, perhaps a Bonsai Rosemary Tree would be a better model for indoor culture. Its small needle-like leaves, green above, whitish below and emanating from the twigs at nearly right angles contribute to the bonsai mystique. Some how though, I get the feeling that even this more focused and careful pruning is also resented by rosemary. It really is a plant destined to be a small shrub with a form suitable for use as a clothing rack.

As an herb, rosemary is a part of every herbalist's apothecary. The web site, Herbal Properties of Rosemary has a complete list of the herbal and medicinal values of rosemary. Some may surprise you.

As with most plants, occasional pest problems can befall rosemary. About the only disease that befalls rosemary is powdery mildew. Insect problems are minor but may include any of those these listed at this site.

There you have it, rosemary, an anchient herb steeped in folklore and the traditions of Christmas.

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