Efficient Uses of Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly called rosemary is an aromatic herb indigenous to the Mediterranean area. Rosemary is traditionally known as the herb of remembrance and friendship. Also known as Mary’s mantle and compass weed, rosemary is a lovely, sweet scented, shrubby perennial in Mediterranean countries that can be grown as an annual in Northern climates or as an indoor potted plant. Rosemary has needlelike leaves and delicate light blue flowers. Mature plants can live for over 30 years.

Rosemary is quite a diverse herb. It is used effectively for headaches, particularly migraine. The herbalist Michael Tierra writes that many headaches are caused by stomach problems, and that the volatile oils in rosemary have a very beneficial and calming effect on the stomach. Rosemary also contains salicylic acid, which is the precursor of aspirin. Though being in plant form it doesn’t have the long term side effects.

Rosemary grows best in the temperate climate of the Mediterranean, but it does so in the highly acidic, sandy soil of the region. When planting rosemary, ignore the specialty packages of potting soil and fertilizers. If you happen to live in a region with very poor, sandy soil, you’re definitely in luck. Stick the plant directly into that lousy sand, in a sunny location, water it generously, and then leave it alone. The less attention and care it gets, the better it will do.

Mediterranean woman have long used rosemary to keep their hair dark and beautiful. A simple rinse of rosemary leaves steeped in hot water (cool before use) makes a wonderful conditioning rinse for brown or dark hair. Rosemary stimulates the scalp and is helpful for hair loss.

Rosemary oil is considered as multipurpose oil, which is pale yellow in color and have a strong mint and fresh smell. It is also regarded as one of the most popular oil just for the reason of its various health benefits, such as, it boost up the hair growth, gives a refreshing feeling, gives relief in pain and helps in recovering from various respiratory problems etc. Other than above health problems, it has been proved beneficial in various other problems such as fever, acne, low blood pressure, arthritis, lice, repellant, asthma, coughs, headache etc.

Rosemary can also be successfully grown from cuttings. The ideal soil mix uses grit, compost and peat. We try not use peat, as most will come from beautiful landscapes and gardeners unbeknown to them are slowly using the peat from non-renewable sources. I used just normal compost for mine and they appear to be growing well. I took a good cutting of about 5cm (2 inches) long off my plant. Took off the bottom leaves and cut diagonally across the stem. Planted it and I water it when it looks a bit dry.

Rosemary plants are relatively easy to grow. The only thing to worry about is to provide adequate drainage. Otherwise, they can tolerate drought, poor, shallow and alkaline soils. If planted in somewhat “cared for” settings, they should be lightly clipped now and again, in order to maintain compact growth. It is important to remember that Rosemary should not be cut back to the wood, as it does not grow back from old wood, and consequently overtime, the foliage will not cover the plant to the ground.