🌱Doc's Pantry Garden Almanac

The Garden Almanac

The memory herb — a tender perennial to overwinter indoors

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Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

The memory herb — a tender perennial to overwinter indoors

🔍 How to identify it

Woody evergreen shrub with narrow needle-like leaves, dark green above and pale beneath, intensely piney-aromatic when brushed; pale blue two-lipped flowers. Square stems (mint family).

👀 Look-alikes

None dangerous.

🤝 Companion planting

Plant near:
Carrotbeancabbagesage
FamilyLamiaceae (mint family)
Hardiness zone8-10 (grow in a pot, overwinter indoors on the prairie)
SunFull sun, 6+ hours
WaterLet dry between waterings — hates wet feet
SoilGritty, sharp-drained, slightly alkaline
SpacingOne plant per 20-30 cm pot
Sowing / startingBuy a plant or root cuttings; seed is slow and erratic
HarvestSnip sprigs anytime; never take more than a third at once
Common pestsPowdery mildew and root rot from overwatering indoors; spider mites in dry heat.

🧺 What it's good for

Culinary; traditional focus/memory tonic and antioxidant. See the remedy for the recipe.

Plant identification here is educational — never eat, forage, or medicate with a wild plant on the basis of a website alone. Many edible plants have toxic look-alikes. When in doubt, grow from known seed, or confirm with an expert before you harvest.