With its intense piney fragrance, dense evergreen foliage and cute, diminutive size, the rosemary Christmas tree seems the perfect holiday plant for table or countertop. Get one and enjoy it, but do yourself a favor: Don’t anticipate a long relationship.Rosemary has deep associations with Christianity, and in a Tuscan monastery it will grow into a large and venerated shrub. But as a houseplant here, its days are numbered. Most will drown at the hands of overattentive keepers and will never see the new year.Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region and thrives in hot, dry climates with mild winters. Don’t water until the soil is dry to the touch, and the plant shows signs of wilting. Browning needles indicate over-watering. [read more Rosemary trees work best as disposables]
Rosemary trees are wonderful. I love the smell of rosemary through the house. However these plants tend to be stressed by the time you buy them. Sitting in them in a dark house after you purchase them does them no favors either. From the rosemary’s point of view almost all homes are dark caves.
As soon as possible after the holidays, get your rosemary plant out in the sunshine. It wants to be treated more like a cactus than a traditional plant. Give it lots of sun, and little water.
So far the longest I’ve been able to keep a rosemary tree growing is about 8 months. Late winter into early spring we get lots of rain and the rosemary doesn’t have time to settle in before the rain hits. If you keep them inside it is almost impossible to get them enough light. I expect they would do well in a planter, which keeps the soil drier, rather than the ground here. But that is on this summer’s list of things to do.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Nancy France // Feb 13, 2008 at 3:41 am
If you plant one in a slightly raised bed, with some good drainage (you’ll have to amend our gumbo a bit), it should do okay. I’ve kept some growing for several years at a time….
sigh. Unless we get a tropical storm and 6 inches of rain in two days, then all bets are off.
2 admin // Feb 13, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I’m beginning to think I’m going to have to put nothing but bog plants in my yard. Even with all the soil I’ve brought in, and with out me watering it’s staying pretty wet through the gardens.
#3 rosemary plant is holding its own and blooming, but I started with a much larger plant this time. And it’s only been 6 months - we’ll see if it survives the spring rains.
3 Nancy France // Feb 13, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Oh, one thought…
I suspect the rosemary would be very happy in a terracotta pot, as the soil would be warmer and drainage better. I’ve got mine in a raised bed that has been amended to and worked with for several years, so it seems to be doing okay in the ground there. I’m thinking of putting another Rosemary in a pot in an even sunnier spot though.
and YES I’m going to the Spring Fling. In fact, I was wondering if perhaps we could meet somewhere and convoy there. I’m going to be bringing our van (as it has the scooter lift in it).
4 admin // Feb 14, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Depends on whether or not husband is coming. If not, yes, I’d love the company on the trip. Will let you know one way or another this weekend.
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