Salvia rosmarinus 'Santa Barbara' (Rosemary 'Santa Barbara') Herb Plant

Rosemary 'Santa Barbara' (Salvia rosmarinus 'Santa Barbara') Previously Rosmarinus officinalis 'Santa Barbara' Herb in 9cm Pot

At least one variety of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is absolutely essential in a culinary herb garden. Rosemary 'Santa Barbara' is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant needle-like evergreen leaves, but unlike most Rosemary's it is fairly low growing to a maximum height of 30cm and a spread of 90cm making it good for ground cover in fact it is also known as creeping Rosemary and has a wonderful trailing habit so good for large containers or planting in rockeries to scramble over the rocks or the edge of a wall. Rosemary 'Santa Barbara' has a profusion of pale blue spring /summer flowers. It is native to the Mediterranean region, and as such, prefers a light, sandy soil, which will fully satisfy its meager feeding needs. Having said that, rosemary is tolerant of most soil conditions as long as they are not water-logged. True to its origins, Rosemary prefers sunny and sheltered conditions. It will stand frosts if conditions are not windy and wet as well. 

If left un-pruned Rosemary can become straggly and untidy so should be pruned after flowering to keep it compact. As a guide, prune after the first main flush of flowers. Regular picking of the leaves especially the tips of the branches for cooking acts as an ongoing pruning regime and helps keep the plant bushy and compact.

Herb Usage

The leaves of Rosmarinus officinalis 'Santa Barbara' are extremely aromatic, and can be finely chopped and used to flavour a variety of dishes, especially stuffing. Many cooks simply cut sprigs of rosemary and place with roasted meats, especially lamb, pork, chicken and turkey.  Beautiful when chopped and added to roasting potatoes, and great in tomato based sauces. The leaves can also be made into a tea to aid digestion. The leaves can be dried to add to dishes too. You can use the leaves in an infusion for bath water too to aid relaxation of muscles whilst stimulating the mind. It is, of course, distilled into an essential oil too and added to many cosmetic products. The Rosemary herb plant is said to help memory and indeed in the language of flowers it is used to denote remembrance. It is said also to prolong life!

Buy Rosemary 'Santa Barbara' Online

Our potted Rosemary 'Santa Barbara' herb plants are generally available to buy online all year round.