Rosemary care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) wants full sun and a drink about every 7 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 11. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Salvia rosmarinus |
|---|---|
| family | Lamiaceae |
| category | herb |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 7 |
| soil | Sandy, sharply drained |
| min zone | 7 |
| max zone | 11 |
| frost tolerant | false |
| toxic to pets | false |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | true |
How often should I water Rosemary?
Drought-tolerant once established; let the soil dry between waterings.
What soil does Rosemary want?
Sandy, sharply drained
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: yes.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is low. Its drought tolerance is high. It wants at least about 14 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 45 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.0. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.5. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: no. It needs at least 200 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is medium. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Its fire tolerance is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -3°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a multiple stem form. Its growth rate is moderate. Its lifespan is long. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is medium. At maturity it reaches about 5.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 5 feet. Its roots go down at least 14 inches. Its shape is semi-erect. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in mid spring. The flowers are blue. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is dark green. The foliage texture is fine. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is dense in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is brown. Fruit begins in spring. Fruit finishes by summer. It fruits medium. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Seedling vigour is medium. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: USDA PLANTS Database; US Cooperative Extension horticulture publications · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02