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Do Rosemary Plants Lose Their Leaves in the Winter?

Rosemary is one of a handful of popular Mediterranean herbs classified as evergreen, meaning that they keep their leaves year-round. Adapted to a climate known for periodic dry spells, rosemary and other evergreen herbs can tolerate periods of drought. The waxy, tough, needle-like leaves of rosemary, for example, cut evaporation and effectively conserve moisture. These leathery leaves can survive other harsh conditions -- much like the needles of pine trees and other conifers. Rosemary is a low-maintenance, useful plant that offers year-round foliage, as do other evergreen herbs.

  1. About Rosemary

    • Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), often used to flavor chicken, lamb and other meat dishes, is a savory herb with a strong, distinctive taste and fragrance. Rosmarinus means "dew of the sea" in Latin, which fits this gray-green herb with woody stems, originally found growing wild along the Mediterranean coast. Rosemary varieties differ greatly in their hardiness as well as overall form. Some grow into tall, shrublike plants, and others are quite striking as ground covers or when allowed to cascade over rock walls. Flowers range from purple or blue to pink and white.

    Other Evergreen Herbs

    • Another easy-care evergreen herb beloved for its evergreen foliage is lavender, with a floral fragrance often used in aromatherapy, potpourris and an endless array of cosmetic and cleaning products. French chefs have used lavender as a culinary herb for countless centuries. Though there are delicate annual varieties too, evergreen sage is another tough gray-green Mediterranean herb, this one most often used in poultry stuffing and to flavor stews and soups. Many types of flavorful, low-growing thyme are evergreen as well. Shrublike winter savory, rarely growing more than a foot tall, is used to season both beans and meats.

    Growing Evergreen Herbs

    • Plant evergreen herbs in full sun, where they will develop dense foliage, darker colors and more intense essential oils and stronger flavors. Well-drained soil is essential, but contrary to common belief, poor-quality soils aren't. Evergreen herbs do quite well in friable, loose soil, so don't hesitate to dig in the compost if your ground can be improved. Fertilize evergreen herbs with a balanced fertilizer. Never take more than one-third of a plant when harvesting an evergreen herb and cut only to stems that still show new growth. Prune in winter or early spring to remove any damaged or diseased vegetation.

    Both Landscape and Culinary Herbs

    • Because evergreen herbs can be grown as year-round landscape plants and also as culinary herbs, plan to grow them as both, but in separate places. Plants are slow growing, and you won't want to butcher a cascading wall of rosemary you've spent 20 years developing. Keep culinary evergreens in a special garden or containers just outside your kitchen door, to make using fresh herbs convenient. Alternatively, tuck evergreen cooking herbs into your vegetable garden or other inconspicuous location, or grow them indoors near a sunny window as houseplants.

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Growing Herbs
  1. The Uses of Sage Plants
  2. Basil Plants in the Winter
  3. Do Blueberry Bushes Lose Leaves in the Winter?
  4. When Do the Silver Birch Lose Their Leaves?
  5. Winter Care for Rosemary Plants
  6. Banana Plants in the Winter
  7. What Causes Bell Pepper Plants to Lose Their Leaves?
  8. Do Blueberry Plants Lose Leaves & Does the Bush Die Out?
  9. Herbs Grown in the Deep South
  10. The Colors of Rosemary Plants
  11. How to Store Basil Leaves for the Winter
  12. Do Camellia Bushes Lose Their Leaves in Cold?

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