Rosmarinus officinalis Tuscan Blue

Rosmarinus officinalis Tuscan Blue is a variety of rosemary ideal for cooking, often used in Tuscany to create small hedges. It is a vigorous specimen with an upright habit, particularly flowering in autumn, and large, highly aromatic leaves. Decorative for much of the year, this evergreen bush also flowers in late winter, depending on the year and climate, and its nectar-rich flowers are intensely visited by pollinating insects. From its Mediterranean origins, rosemary has kept a certain affinity for warmth, summer drought, and relatively mild winters. Offer it a dry slope or the rocky soil of a plateau, and it will thrive there!

The common rosemary, known as Rosmarinus officinalis, is a small shrub native to the Mediterranean basin. It belongs to the family of Lamiaceae, which includes many medicinal and aromatic plants. In addition to its numerous culinary and therapeutic properties, this plant has long been believed to purify the air and ward off evil spirits. Around the Mediterranean, it was burned like incense. Depending on the region and its natural environment, it is locally differentiated and shows quite varied characteristics of hardiness, habit, and flowering.

'Tuscan Blue' forms a large bush with upright stems in just a few years, reaching a height of up to 1.50m (5ft) and a width of 1 m, depending on the growing conditions. Its growth is much faster in rich and cooler soil, but in these conditions, its lifespan will be shorter, and its habit less dense. 'Tuscan Blue' bears rather large flowers for a rosemary. They are arranged in clusters that resemble spikes along the young branches. Their colour is a soft mauve blue with a white throat. The evergreen foliage consists of narrow, shiny green leaves with a cottony and whitish underside. They are larger than those of the usual varieties and have the characteristic of being rolled up, giving them a linear appearance. This feature is an adaptation to drought. This variety 'Tuscan Blue' will tolerate well-drained soil down to -12°C.

Green all year round, perfuming the air and flavouring cuisine, the common rosemary and its variants are useful for quickly planting the landscape of a dry garden, a rock garden, or simply an arid area where the soil is shallow. They form the basis of many gardens in the Mediterranean, but also in certain regions of the Atlantic coast where very sandy soil does not retain moisture. A small hedge can be formed with this Tuscan Blue rosemary, or it can be combined with other small shrubs that thrive in dry soil: coronillas, rockroses, Meerlo lavender... It is an excellent source of nectar for bees, at a time of year when flowers are quite scarce. The roots of rosemary secrete substances that inhibit the germination and growth of other plants: in a non-irrigated rosemary bed, there is no need for weeding!