Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Rosemary is a hardy evergreen shrub that supplies fragrant foliage every month of the year. In humid subtropical gardens it needs a sunny position and sharply drained sandy or loamy soil, and once established it becomes notably drought tolerant and needs little attention.
Overview
At a Glance
Peak Planting Window
April to September
Seasonal Role
Evergreen culinary shrub
Difficulty
Easy
Planting Method
Cutting, seed or transplant
First Harvest
4–6 months
Sun
Full sun
Water
Low
Heat Tolerance
Very High
Humidity Tolerance
Moderate
Family
Lamiaceae
Category
Herb
Planting Calendar
Monthly Planting Guide
Month-by-month suitability for coastal subtropical Australia.
Rationale
Why This Planting Window
Rosemary establishes most successfully during the cooler months, developing strong roots before summer. Once established, it thrives in heat, tolerates drought well and produces aromatic foliage year-round.
Reference
Growing Information
Lifecycle
Evergreen perennial shrub
Ideal Soil Temperature
15–25°C
Germination
14–28 days
Transplant Ready
8–10 weeks
Soil
Well-drained sandy or loamy soil
Soil pH
6.0–7.5
Plant Spacing
80–120 cm
Row Spacing
100–150 cm
Frost Tolerance
Moderate
In the garden
Plant Care
Watch out for
Problems & Prevention
Common Pests
Aphids, scale and spittlebugs.
Common Diseases
Root rot and powdery mildew.
Common Mistakes
Poor drainage, overwatering, excessive fertiliser and planting in shade.
Picking
Harvest
First Harvest
4–6 months
Harvest Window
Harvest stems as required
Harvest Indicators
Harvest young stems throughout the year. Avoid removing more than one-third of the shrub at any one time.
Standard
SGGS Details
Subtropical Gardener Growing Standard — profile metadata.
- SGGS Code
- HER010
- Version
- 1
- Confidence
- High
- Seasonal Role
- Evergreen culinary shrub
- Crop Champion Month
- May
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