Product Code Database
Salvia rosmarinus (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers. It is a member of the sage family, Lamiaceae.
The species is Native plant to the Mediterranean region, as well as Portugal and Spain. It has a number of cultivars and its leaves are commonly used as a flavoring.
The plant flowers in spring and summer in temperate climates, but the plants can be in constant bloom in warm climates; flowers are white, pink, purple or deep blue. The branches are dotted with groups of 2 to 3 flowers down its length. Rosemary also has a tendency to flower outside its normal flowering season; it has been known to flower as late as early December, and as early as mid-February (in the Northern Hemisphere). The plant can live as long as 35 years.Federal Register. Volume 52, Issues 13-20 - Page 2228. Retrieved on 6 Oct. 2023. "Mature rosemary approaches senescence at an age of 30-35 years…it releases toxic chemicals into the soil that inhibit or prevent the growth of most other plants, resulting in areas of relatively bare, open sand between the shrubs."
Rosemary came to England at an unknown date, though it is likely that the Romans brought it when they invaded Britain in 43 CE. Even so, there are no viable records containing rosemary in Britain until the 8th century CE. This mention was in a document which was later credited to Charlemagne, who promoted the general usage of herbs and ordered rosemary specifically to be grown in monastic gardens and farms.The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs: History, Botany by Deborah Madison, 2017, p.266
There are no records of rosemary being properly naturalized in Britain until 1338, when cuttings were sent to Queen Philippa by her mother, Countess Joan of Hainault. It was then planted in the garden of the old palace of Westminster. Since then, rosemary can be found in most English herbal texts.A Brief History of Thyme and other Herbs by Miranda Seymour, 2002, p.96
Rosemary finally arrived in the Americas with early European settlers in the beginning of the 17th century, and was soon spread to South America and distributed globally.
It is reasonably hardy in cool climates. Special cultivars like 'Arp' can withstand winter temperatures down to about . It can withstand droughts, surviving a severe lack of water for lengthy periods. It is considered a potentially invasive species and its seeds are often difficult to start, with a low germination rate.Shepherd, Lizz. The Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Flowers, Fruits, and Herbs from Containers. Page 127. Retrieved on 6 Oct. 2023. "Rosemary seeds can be hard to start, with a slow germinating time and a low germination rate, which means many seeds do not develop into plants."
In order to harvest from the plant, the bush should be matured 2–3 years to ensure it is large enough to withstand it. The amount harvested should not exceed 20% of the growth in order to preserve the plant.
The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
Fresh or dried leaves are used in traditional Mediterranean cuisine, having an odor of pine which complements many cooked foods. Herbal tea can be made from the leaves. In some cooking, the woody stem, stripped of its leaves, is used as a skewer.
Rosemary extract, specifically the type mainly consisting of carnosic acid and carnosol, is approved as a food preservative in several countries, having E number E392.
The plant has been used as a symbol for remembrance during war commemorations and funerals in Europe and Australia. Mourners would throw it into graves as a symbol of remembrance for the dead.
In Australia, sprigs of rosemary are worn on ANZAC Day and sometimes Remembrance Day to signify remembrance; the herb grows wild on the Gallipoli Peninsula, where many Australians died during World War I.
Several Shakespeare plays refer to the use of rosemary in burial or memorial rites. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia says, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember." It likewise appears in Shakespeare's Winter's Tale in Act 4 Scene 4, where Perdita talks about "Rosemary and Rue". In Act 4 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence admonishes the Capulet household to "stick your rosemary on this fair corse, and as the custom is, and in her best array, bear her to church." It is also said that "In the language of flowers it means 'fidelity in love.'"Brewer, E. Cobham, Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 14th ed., London: Cassel, Petter, Galpin, and Co., no date 1880, p. 765.
Rosemary is one of the four herbs mentioned in the refrain of the folk song "Scarborough Fair."
In the Spanish fairy tale The Sprig of Rosemary, the heroine touches the hero with the titular sprig of rosemary in order to restore his magically lost memory.
Rosemary is used in Danube Swabians culture for christenings, weddings, burials and festivals; for example, an apple with a sprig of rosemary in it is used for Kirchweih celebrations.
Fragrance
Hungary water, dating to the 14th century, was one of the first alcohol-based perfumes in Europe, and was primarily made from distilled rosemary. Rosemary oil is used in perfumes, shampoos, cleaning products, and aromatherapy.
Phytochemicals
Rosemary essential oil contains some 150 , including rosmarinic acid, camphor, A-pinene, caffeic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, carnosic acid, and carnosol. Rosemary essential oil contains 10–20% camphor.
In culture
Rosemary was considered sacred to ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. In Don Quixote (Part One, Chapter XVII), the fictional hero uses rosemary in his recipe for fierabras. It was written about by Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE)Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, trans. John Bostock (London: Taylor and Francis, 1855) and Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40 CE to c. 90 CE), a Greek botanist (amongst other things). The latter talked about rosemary in his most famous writing, De Materia Medica, one of the most influential herbal books in history. (2025). 9780620234351, IBIDIS. ISBN 9780620234351
See also
External links
|
|
