Rosemary: How to Grow and Use It in Southern California

By Richard Flowers, ACCNP-Green Thumb Nursery-Ventura

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a woody, evergreen Mediterranean shrub, not a succulent, and it is a perennial that lives for years. It wants full sun and fast-draining soil, needs little water once established, and bears small pale-blue flowers in the cool season. Grow it as a fragrant culinary herb, a low hedge, or (in trailing forms) a groundcover that spills over walls, and it will thrive in Southern California, where our dry Mediterranean climate suits it perfectly.

Question	Answer
Is rosemary a shrub?	Yes, a woody evergreen shrub
Is it a perennial?	Yes, it lives for years
Is it evergreen?	Yes, it holds its foliage year-round
Is it a succulent?	No, it is a woody Mediterranean herb
Does it flower?	Yes, pale blue to lavender, mostly winter to spring
Full sun or shade?	Full sun, 6 or more hours a day

What Kind of Plant Is Rosemary?

Rosemary is an aromatic, evergreen, perennial shrub in the mint family, Lamiaceae.^[1] You may know it by its old botanical name, Rosmarinus officinalis; it has since been reclassified and is now placed in the genus Salvia as Salvia rosmarinus.^[2] Despite its tough, needle-like leaves and love of dry conditions, it is not a succulent; it is a woody Mediterranean subshrub, which is a different thing entirely.^[1] In a mild climate it keeps its foliage all year and lives for many years. It does flower, too: expect small, two-lipped blooms in pale blue to lavender, and sometimes white or pink,^[1] which in Southern California’s zone 8 to 10 climate typically open from about January into April.^[3]

How to Grow Rosemary in Southern California

Rosemary is practically built for Southern California. It is a sun-loving, drought-tolerant Mediterranean plant that wants full sun and light, well-drained soil, and once established it is exceptionally drought tolerant, so let the soil dry out between waterings.^[4] UC IPM puts it simply: once established, rosemary needs little watering, though you should water first-year plants regularly while the roots settle in.^[5] The flip side is the one mistake that kills more rosemary than anything else: overwatering. Rosemary has a low tolerance for wet, soggy conditions, and poorly drained soil in winter is usually fatal because it invites root rot, so plant it where drainage is sharp and resist the urge to pamper it.^[1] It is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 10, which covers essentially all of Southern California.^[1] If you are building a low-water, water-wise garden, rosemary belongs in it; see our guide to drought-tolerant plants.

Using Rosemary in the Landscape

One of rosemary’s best tricks is how many ways you can use it. Its forms range from upright shrubs of four feet or more down to low, trailing groundcovers,^[6] so you can plant an upright variety as a fragrant low hedge, border, or specimen, or choose a prostrate type to cascade over a wall or blanket a dry slope.^[1] Whichever you pick, the cool-season flowers are a magnet for pollinators, drawing bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds.^[1] And of course it is one of the most useful culinary herbs you can grow, with leaves you can snip fresh year-round to flavor breads, vegetables, potatoes, and roasted meats.^[1] For more herbs to grow alongside it, see our culinary herb garden guide, and for a festive use, our take on rosemary for the holidays.

Care, Pruning, and Common Questions

Rosemary is low-maintenance once it is settled. Prune it lightly to keep its shape, pinch the tips of young plants to encourage bushy growth,^[2] and make more plants easily from 4 to 6 inch stem cuttings.^[2] Good news for pet owners: the ASPCA lists rosemary as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.^[7] One myth worth clearing up: you may read that watering plants with rosemary-infused water feeds them or repels pests, but that is a folk remedy with no support from gardening authorities, so skip it. If pests like spider mites show up, a plain spray of water is the simple, research-backed fix.^[4]

Looking for the right rosemary for a hedge, a slope, or your kitchen? Stop by any Green Thumb Nursery and our team can match an upright or trailing variety to your spot.

Rosemary FAQ

Is rosemary a shrub or a perennial?

Both. Rosemary is a woody, evergreen perennial shrub in the mint family (Salvia rosmarinus), which means it lives for many years and keeps its leaves year-round. It is not a succulent.^[1]

Does rosemary need full sun or shade?

Full sun. Rosemary wants 6 or more hours of direct sun a day; it will tolerate a little shade but grows and flowers best in full sun with well-drained soil.^[4]

Does rosemary flower?

Yes. It produces small pale-blue to lavender flowers (sometimes white or pink), which in Southern California typically open from about January into April.^[3]

Is rosemary a succulent?

No. Even though it is drought tolerant and has narrow, tough leaves, rosemary is a woody Mediterranean shrub in the mint family, not a succulent.^[1]

Is rosemary water good for plants?

There is no support from gardening authorities for the idea that watering plants with rosemary-infused water fertilizes them or repels pests, so treat it as folklore rather than a proven method. For pests, a plain spray of water is the simple, research-backed option.^[4]

Sources

• [1] NC State Extension, Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus): plants.ces.ncsu.edu
• [2] University of Wisconsin-Madison Horticulture Extension, Rosemary: hort.extension.wisc.edu
• [3] Missouri Botanical Garden, Salvia rosmarinus: missouribotanicalgarden.org
• [4] UC Marin Master Gardeners, Rosemary: ucanr.edu
• [5] UC IPM, Rosemary Cultural Tips: ipm.ucanr.edu
• [6] Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC, Herbs: hgic.clemson.edu
• [7] ASPCA, Rosemary (non-toxic to pets): aspca.org

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