Rosemary

How to grow Rosemary

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Sun and drainage are everything. On clay, plant on a raised mound with grit worked in, or grow it in a pot of gritty compost — wet cold roots over winter kill far more rosemary than frost does.

Pruning

Trim lightly after flowering, taking off no more than the current season's growth. Like lavender it will not reliably reshoot from bare old wood, so a leggy plant is usually best replaced from a cutting.

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings in summer root easily in a gritty mix. Take a few every couple of years so there is always a replacement coming on.

Pests and diseases

Rosemary beetle is now widespread — metallic green and purple striped adults and grey grubs stripping the foliage. Pick them off into a tray; they are most active from late summer through winter.

Value to wildlife

Flowers early and is worked hard by bumblebees at a lean time of year.

Notes

Renamed from Rosmarinus officinalis and still sold under that name. Prostrate forms are noticeably less hardy than upright ones and are best kept in pots that can be moved under shelter.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Salvia rosmarinus but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Salvia