12 Reasons to Grow Rosemary for your Garden, Food, and Health

Essential in the kitchen, on roasts and in stews, gorgeous in your garden, with its fragrant, shiny and evergreen leaves and bright bluish lavender, or white and purple blooms, rosemary is also very helpful for your health! In fact, grow this aromatic shrub from the Mediterranean in your garden, or in containers, and you will not just have a flavor-packed herb, but a decorative plant and a medicine you can pick and store away easily as well. You already have the three broad reasons why you should keep Rosmarinus officinalis near you all the time. But I have more…

You guessed it; I am here to convince you to grow rosemary in your garden (decorative or backyard, take your pick), balcony or terrace, and I selected only 12 of the many reasons why you should – shall I show them to you now?

1: Rosemary Is a Very Easy-to-Grow and Sturdy Plant

“I would love to grow rosemary, but I don’t have a green thumb,” is what puts off some people. Don’t worry; even a total beginner gardener can easily grow this aromatic shrub, because it is very forgiving, strong, naturally healthy and pest and disease free, and it thrives in harsh conditions as well!

Despite its “exotic” origin, rosemary is fairly cold hardy as well, and if you forget to water it once, it won’t mind, because it is drought tolerant. And if your soil is poor, even rocky, Rosmarinus officinalis will grow as if it was fertile!

These, in fact, are the growing conditions for rosemary you should keep in mind.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 7 to 12 (but you can grow it in USDA zones 6 and below in containers and shelter it in winter, or even have it as an annual).
• Light requirements: full Sun.
• Spacing: 3 to 4 feet apart (90 to 120 cm) or in 12 to 16-inch wide containers (30 to 40 cm).
• Watering: moderate, water when the soil is fully dry. It is very drought tolerant.
• Soil conditions: poor to average fertile, well drained (this is important) loam, chalk or sand based soil. It can also grow in clay based soil as long as it is not heavy and well drained. It also grows in rocky soil.
• Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral).

And now that you also know how to grow rosemary, let’s move to my next reason to grow it, but first of all, why don’t you learn to make rosemary essential oil? It will be very useful to you and your family, and it’s not so difficult if you follow this recipe: 

2: Rosemary Heals Coughs and Colds!

When a plant has the scientific name “officinalis”, it means “medical”, and rosemary has many properties for your wellbeing and health. And the first I want to tell you about is for your respiratory system.

If you have a cold or flu, but also if you are short of breath (or have asthma), rosemary can really help you. Why? It eases congestion, it has expectorant properties (it gets rid of mucus from your chest), it dilates the bronchi and it has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial compounds.

Perfect for winter colds and flu, thanks to its active compounds like cineole A.K.A. eucalyptol (a natural expectorant), camphor (a bronchodilator and decongestant), rosmarinic acid (anti-inflammatory and antihistamine), flavonoids (antiviral and immune-supportive) and carnosic acid (antioxidant and antimicrobial).

Use fresh rosemary sprigs from your garden or containers for this cough syrup!

Or maybe you prefer this chest rub?

3: Rosemary Provides Early Food for Pollinators

Rosemary is also a great friend to your garden and the ecosystem. Why? It blooms in late winter and early spring, when pollinators like bees are really hungry, and there aren’t many flowers around to feed on.

So, if you grow a rosemary shrub in your garden, you will help pollinators when they need it most and they, in turn, will give you bigger crops of vegetables and fruit. It’s a win-win situation!

And because you too may want to have rosemary’s flavor and nutrients when it is snowing outside, and you don’t fancy picking it and getting wet and cold, here is a simple recipe to preserve it for months:

4: Rosemary Makes an Excellent Cleaner for Your House and Furniture!

Once upon a time, I used to live in a wood bungalow, and guess what I used to clean it? Rosemary! I had loads all around me, and I just boiled some twigs and… My little home was clean, disinfected and smelling like heaven for hours!

And the great news is that rosemary is excellent for furniture! Its oils condition and protect wood, and they keep wood-boring insects away.

Considering how much wood-polishing products cost, if you grow rosemary in your garden, you will save a lot of money as well.

But rosemary is good for all surfaces, not just wood, in fact, it…

• Contains rosmarinic acid, camphor, and cineole, which fight bacteria (like E. coli and Staph) and mold.
• Helps prevent mold and mildew on wood, tiles, and grout.
• Neutralizes odors (e.g., kitchen grease, pet smells) without synthetic fragrances.
• Finally, it is fully natural and non-toxic, great if you have kids and pets.

And here is an all-purpose cleaner that uses rosemary and lavender, though you can use only rosemary if you wish – it’s very simple:

5: Rosemary Is Good for Your Hair and Scalp as Well

Wouldn’t you like your hair to shine like rosemary leaves? You can achieve it, if you grow it in your garden or in containers!

In fact, rosemary oils are excellent for hair growth and for your scalp’s health, it reduces hair loss, conditions it, and it fights dandruff as well. By now you know that this aromatic shrub is packed with active and beneficial natural compounds, but let me tell you some specific properties:

• Carnosic acid and Carnosol; they stimulate blood circulation to hair follicles, promoting growth. They also repair nerve damage in the scalp (studies suggest it may rival minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia). Finally, they are anti-oxidants which protect follicles from free radicals.
• Ursolic acid; it strengthens hair follicles by inhibiting DHT (a hormone tied to hair loss). It also prevents scalp atrophy (thinning of skin tissue).

• Camphor and cineole (eucalyptol); they stimulate nerve endings in the scalp, boosting follicle activity. They have a cooling effect, so they soothe itchiness and irritation.
• Flavonoids (apigenin and luteolin); they extend the hair growth phase (anagen) and they prevent premature graying by reducing oxidative stress.

Make your own, fully natural rosemary hair conditioner with these simple instructions:

6: Rosemary Is Great for Your Backyard, Front or Decorative Garden and Hanging Baskets as Well…

Another reason to grow rosemary is that it is really adaptable to all sorts of gardens. So, even if you don’t have a vegetable patch, you can have it next to your petunias or pansies, as a decorative shrub next to a flower bed.

What is more, rosemary is evergreen, so it will fill your garden during the winter months, adding interest with its glossy, deep green and finely texture, needle like leaves, and, come February, it will be in full bloom.

But I have a surprise for you; there is a creeping, crawling and draping variety, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ (or var. recumbens), which is great for ground cover, and it looks stunning in hanging baskets as well.

It is in fact so beautiful that it has won the most coveted gardening prize in the world, the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, but you know what? I actually find it is one of the best for cooking! Its flavor is always very strong and ideal for roasts.

Why don’t you try it in your stuffing for Christmas, or any other time of the year?

7: Rosemary Preserves Food!

Maybe you didn’t expect this? Yes, rosemary is a natural food preservative! Like salt, it was used in the past to keep stocks safe during the winter months, especially for meat. This amazing property is due to d its high concentration of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds that inhibit bacterial growth, oxidation, and spoilage.

The very same compounds that fight bacteria and infections in your body will preserve food: rosmarinic acid, flavonoids, camphor and eucalyptus, carnosic acid and carnosol and ursolic acid replace chemicals like E310 and E211.

In fact, rosemary extract has its own “E-code”, E312; but, unlike others, it is fully natural!

Specifically, rosemary works for these types of food:

• Meats and processed foods; it slows fat oxidation and bacterial growth (e.g., sausage, jerky).
• Oils and fats; it delays rancidity in olive oil or lard (rosemary extract is a common additive).
• Bread and baked goods; inhibits mold (studies show it outperforms synthetic preservatives like BHA in some cases).
• Dried herb and spices; it prevents microbial contamination.

To preserve your food, you can use fresh rosemary or dried leaves, extracts, or infused oils and vinegars, so, here’s how to make one!

8: Rosemary Purifies Air Indoors

You can grow rosemary indoors as well, and, as a plant, it will purify the air of your room, but you can also use twigs from the shrub you have or in your garden or containers for this purpose.

You won’t get the full effect though, because as a houseplant, rosemary has really great properties, great against pollution (it still does outdoors too, though less intensely of course – still, here’s another reason to grow it). In fact, it eliminates:

• Formaldehyde (found in furniture, carpets, and cleaning products).
• Benzene and VOCs (from paints, plastics, and synthetic materials).

Still, even if you grow it outside, you can use rosemary to:

• Mask odors, especially musty ones.
• Reduce dampness (yes!).
• Kill air bacteria and molds, thanks to its compounds like 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol), camphor, and rosmarinic acid.
• As an added bonus, it repels pests and mosquitoes!

And if you want an easy recipe to make your own, fully natural rosemary air-freshener, here is how to do it:

9: Rosemary Boosts Your Memory and Brain Power

If you need to perk up your mental abilities, and to boost your memory, Rosmarinus officinalis can help you here as well. And it is thanks to two old acquaintances of ours: carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid.

In fact, these two amazing active ingredients have amazing properties; they enhance memory, focus, and mental clarity. This has been known since the times of Ancient Greece, when rosemary was used to study, but it’s not a myth…

Modern scientific studies show that rosemary may help prevent Alzheimer’s (neurodegenerative diseases) by protecting brain cells from oxidative stress and free radicals.

Whichever way you take rosemary will work wonders for your brain and memory, but if you are looking for a recipe of an elixir, here is the recipe:

10: Deer and Rabbits Hate Rosemary!

I absolutely adore the fragrance and flavor of rosemary; but it looks like deer and rabbits don’t agree with me. They absolutely loathe it. Now, considering that it is fast growing and it forms dense shrubs, you can see why this can be useful for your garden.

You can literally grow it all around your garden, it is very easy to propagate by cuttings as well, and this will save you money too. And you will quickly get a deer and rabbit resistant hedge to protect your juicy leafy greens and flowering plants.

So, instead of spending days chasing rabbits and deer away, you will have time to throw a garden party, and you could serve this cocktail made with the fresh rosemary twigs you from your home-grown shrubs:

11: Rosemary Has Anti-Stress and Calming Properties

Rosemary also has positive effects on your nervous system. And amazing ones! It literally has a very strong calming effect, with lots of benefits for your life, for example:

• It lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), as shown in many scientific studies, thanks to compounds such as 1,8-cienole.
• It boosts  your mood and it reduces anxiety, by increasing levels of serotonin (the happiness hormone) and dopamine (the calmness hormone) again, all backed by science.
• It has an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain, abating anxiety and fighting depression, because rosmarinic acid suppresses NF-κB (a pro-inflammatory pathway).
• It improves sleep quality by lowering stress hormones, thanks to Linalool (a minor compound in rosemary) has sedative effects.

And here is how to make an easy and quick calming tea with rosemary for you!

12: Rosemary Lowers Your Blood Pressure

Modern life has a bad effect on us: most people have very high blood pressure. But grow some rosemary in your garden and you can lower it naturally! In fact, this amazing herb has:

• Natural vasodilators (that relax your veins), like carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) and nitric oxide.
• Diuretic properties, so it cleanses your veins.
• …and it gets rid of an enzyme, called ACE, which constricts your veins.

Once again, you can assume rosemary as you prefer to lower your blood pressure, with drinks or food, but why not enjoy its amazing flavor, adding garlic (great for blood pressure too), and some mushrooms?

So Many Reasons to Grow Rosemary in Your Garden, Containers or Indoors!

There are many more reasons why you should be growing rosemary, but I think I have convinced you by now…