Latin name: Salvia rosmarinus

Lamiaceae family

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region and now grows wild in warm climates around the world. It is in the Mint family (Lamiaceae) and in the subcategory for Sages – genus Salvia. The name Rosemary comes from the Latin words ros and marinus, which mean “dew of the sea”

Rosemary has a tough, woody stalk, similar to a shrub or evergreen. It is topped with small purple flowers. Its stiff, upright stalks have short leaves that are green and glossy on top and silvery-grey underneath. Rosemary's intense scent is peppery and similar to menthol.

Our first known mention of Rosemary is from 5,000 years ago on stone tablets in Egypt. There are also records of Ramesses III offering 125 measures of Rosemary to the god Amon around 1000 BCE. Although it originated in the Mediterranean, Rosemary was naturalized in China around 200 CE.

Pliny the Elder (a Roman natural philosopher) wrote in De Materia Medica that Rosemary was one of the best medicinal plants available, prior to his death in the tragedy of Pompeii. It was one of the ingredients in Four Thieves Vinegar – a recipe that people believed gave grave robbers protection from the plague in the 17th century France. Christian legend says that the mother of Jesus put her blue cloth over a rosemary bush when fleeing Egypt, causing the white flowers to turn blue.

Crowns and garlands of Rosemary were used English weddings for centuries, including by Anne of Cleves (4th wife of Henry VIII). It was meant to bring happiness and fidelity. Rosemary was also used in death and funeral ceremonies. Shakespeare mentions it in Romeo and Juliet after the suicide where the friar instructs, “Dry up your tears, and stick your Rosemary on this fair corpse”. Rosemary is said to grow well in the house of strong women. It’s even said that during witch hunts Rosemary plants were pulled up to protect against these strong women.

Rosemary is a drying and warming herb - this makes it helpful with moving energy through the body like improving circulation, promoting menstrual flow, and helping with cold and flu symptoms. It contains many terpenes including - Cadinene, Eucalyptol, Eugenol, Fenchone, Humulene, Limonene, Linalool, Pinene, and Terpinolene. It is register in Class 2b meaning Rosemary is generally safe but should be used with caution when pregnant.

Rosemary has been used for centuries as a cleansing and purifying herb, and it’s easy to see why - here are some of its cleansing properties:

Anti-bacterial (prevents the growth of bacteria), Anti-fungal (prevents the growth of fungus), Anti-microbial (kills micro-organisms), Anti-septic (prevent growth of microorganism), Anti-viral (prevents virus), Parasiticide (eliminates parasites)

One of my favorite ways to use Rosemary is to make a hair growth oil. I rub this on my scalp before washing my hair and have personally seen the results of new baby hairs coming in!

Instructions: Take a glass jar and fill it a third to half-way with dried rosemary. Fill the jar with oil (I use olive oil, but you could also choose something lighter like grapeseed or almond oil). Let sit for 4 weeks – shake every couple days to ensure all the plant material stays covered. Strain the oil through a cheesecloth and be sure to squeeze out all of those medicinal benefits. Putting it in a dropper bottle makes usage easier

To Use: Rub into scalp at least 15 minutes before washing hair. Can be kept on overnight for best results.

Rosemary has masculine energy and is a fire element. It is associated with Aries and ruled by the Sun – giving it connections with pride, determination, virility, and self. It is believed to help with luck, protection, purification, and youth, as well as exorcism, and health.

Rosemary is often associated with the deity Aphrodite and Venus. The Greeks and Romans believed she brought Rosemary to earth when she rose out of the sea draped in it at her birth. This connection with the goddess of love is likely why Rosemary was so often carried at weddings.

Place a dish of flour at the base of a Rosemary bush. Overnight, the leaves blowing in the wind will write your lover’s initials in the flour by morning.

When deciding between potential partners - cut a stem of rosemary for each potential lover and plant them in a pot together, whichever one grows the strongest is the lover meant for you