Rosemary varieties by habit and hardiness

Rosemary varieties by habit and hardiness

1. 01

   Plant names and labels

   Salvia rosmarinus is the accepted name, and Rosmarinus officinalis is the older name for the same plant. It is not a separate species.

   The practical groups are upright, semi-trailing or mounding, and prostrate or trailing rosemary, with additional selection for flower color, aroma, and cold hardiness. These are horticultural decisions, not formal taxonomic categories.

2. 02

   How the varieties differ

   Miss Jessopp’s Upright is vigorous and vertical, Capri is low and trailing, Foxtail is semi-trailing, and Rosea or Lady in White are flower-color selections. Arp is upright and relatively cold hardy, Gorizia is tall and upright with larger leaves, and Huntington Carpet or Blue Rain are trailing forms.

3. 03

   Care differences

   Habit changes the pot, display, and pruning decision, while hardiness changes whether outdoor overwintering is plausible. There is no cultivar-specific indoor watering or feeding recipe.