PlantFiles: Prostrate Rosemary, Creeping Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'

TRANSPLANTING:

One thing that I found is very cool about rosemary is the fact that even an older plant is easy to dig up since the roots are shallow for the most part.

There are relatively few thick roots but even the stronger roots are near the top making it easier to move if you decide to do so.

I just wanted to let the other plant lovers and growers know, that Rosmarinus Lavandulacea is an excellent ground cover even here in Wintery South Island New Zealand.

To begin with, (I am new to many plants), I was not sure it if was related to the Lavender family or Rosemary family. Well I used a small amount when I was cooking some Mutton and oh boy what a taste. I too love the beautiful odor that exudes from it when you brush your hands among it. I am in the process of propagating some for my friends so they too can enjoy this exquisite ground cover. Thanks

Prostrate rosemary is one of the few perennials blooming - lovely light blue blossoms on gray-green plants - in January & February in central Florida (zone 9A), in part shade, after weeks of below freezing nights that have turned lots of other plants brown. I prune the plant several times a year to keep it in bounds at the curve in my front walk. Visitors love it - so do the busy bees.

I have been growing this plant over rock walls of a fish pond for almost twenty years. I never knew it wasn't hardy here until someone was surprised to see it growing in the winter when I went out to pick some for use in a dinner I was making. It has done fine here. I can't even think of any dieback issues. The pond is located near my house and is surrounded by a large bluestone patio that I guess holds in the suns heat. This plant trails down the side of the rock walls until it is met by vinca major plants growing below it. It flowers nicely. It smells wonderful and is great for cooking. Nothing seems to bother it. Bees fly around it. This and the lavender I grow all over are two of the easiest and most rewarding plants I have. Others should try it that are in cooler zones. It may help that the soil it is in stays relatively dry even in winter.

I love this plant but would describe it as a slow grower. Low maintenance.
Edited in Apr 2011 to say it is NOT a slow grower! It has done wonderfully in a pot, full sun. I will post a view showing how much it has grown since my first pic in Mar 2010.

I cook with a great deal of rosemary and actually thought I was going to loose this plant after the first year. I cut back all that was usable and left the roots intact, and the next year thisplant came back out and is now quite a speciment plant in the herb garden I have built. It amazes everyone who visits with its 8 to 9 months of blooming, evergreen and wonderfully scented foilage. I have given away a few volunteer starts from this plant, and all have been as hardy as this one. Deer do not eat thisplant and I do see quite a number of bees through out the summer, this is a perfect plant for dry planting and also great in pots and coco lined containers. I actually encourage folks to use this herb in their landscaping as a small shrub instead of junipers. Folks love to see these plant growth spurts after a long hot summer, and the weather turns cool.

Planted this in the driest & sunniest corner of our house 3 years ago, small 12 inch plant, it is now a large shrub and spreading :) .Blooms for me 2 x a year mid winter and early summer.The key to overwintering is to keep it very dry.
Large sprigs can be used in place of cabob sticks, add wonderful flavor. I trim the shrub twice a year as she likes to spread into other plants territory(my fault) planted too much stuff in a small space.Give her room!
I love the smell.

Grows great in just about any kind of soil. I never water it and we had a bad drought this year... it still kept going.

I have a six year old prostrate rosemary growing in a large clay container that is intensely fragrant every time it is touched. It grew for several years in the ground in an Atlanta suburb, zone 7b, but when I moved to Florida it had to go into a large decorative clay pot, and it has done so well in the pot that I have decided not to plant it into the ground here in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b, as I believe it will get better drainage by staying in the pot. We had almost 100 inches of rain last year, so rot is a concern.

While this plant is beautiful, cascading down out of its large container, it has never bloomed. Does it need a lot of sun to bloom, even in Florida? It was and is now in part shade.

I fell in love with this plant after seeing it cascading over a rock wall in San Antonio, TX. I live in a wetter area so I tried growing it to see if it would do here. Success! It rooted easily from a cutting and has thrived here in my raised bed. I have also seen it in the Harris Co. area in raised beds. It was full and draping in a delightful way over the edging to complete a landscaped herb garden.

Although this is called prostrate rosemary it will become about 18-24" tall even with shearing. As young plants the branches hug the ground and make a great groundcover. As the plants mature the become very woody and the new growth uses the thick woody stems to climb on.

Extremely hardy, spreads by runners or branches self rooting as they touch the soil. Prolific bloomer if sheared a couple times a year.