Rosemary is a herb and often called a soft and tender plant. It is commonly used to garnish dishes like lamb, meat, and shellfish.
Rosemary has a minty yet with hints of tea-like aroma, which spreads quite quickly. It has a flavor that is similar to pines; that is, they have a minty hue with a woody texture. Types of rosemary depend on the texture and structure of the rosemary plant.
Apart from its culinary usage, rosemary is also grown as a decorative shrub in ornamental gardens, as well. The fragrance of rosemary is often considered robust and intense.
Types of Rosemary
The various varieties of rosemary known and planted these days are:
1) Common Rosemary
Common Rosemary is an upright variety that grows up to 4 feet tall. The flowers of the common rosemary often are used for culinary uses and are beautiful light blue.
2) Arp Rosemary
This is the hardest rosemary plant. Its blue flowers are edible and are used in the kitchen while its leathery leaves are brimming with aroma.
3) Huntington Carpet
This rosemary variety is green and much less firm in texture than the other rosemary plants. It has attractive blue flowers and an appealing aroma which can be felt from really far as well.
4) Lockwood de forest
The dark green leaves are densely spread across this bushy rosemary plant. It produces beautiful lavender flowers, as well.
5) Prostrate
The prostrate rosemary features more warmth than the typical varieties. It is perfect to be used for ground coverage as it is a low lying plant variety.
6) Irene
One of the popular rosemary varieties which features thin leaves and violet flowers. The pine aroma of the leaves is what you generally associate rosemary with.
7) Salem
It is often used as a decorative plant due to its beautiful and delicate blue flowers.
8) Spice Islands
This rosemary is often used in cooking, and its tall size makes it apt for topiary purposes. It has a beautiful blue flower.
9) Tuscan Blue
This rosemary plant features beautiful greenish-blue leaves. It is aromatic and is majorly used in cooking.
10) Barbecue Rosemary
This rosemary is specially planted for its aroma and flavor. Thus, it is a culinary favorite and features beautiful blue flowers.
11) Mrs. Howards Rosemary
A thick stem with mediocre green leaves and blue blossoms. A spicy aroma can be associated with this herb and is considered good for culinary uses.
12) Gorizia Rosemary
This type of rosemary features vast leaves and has flowers in clusters that are light Blue.
13) Jessopp Upright Rosemary
A medium-size rosemary plant features thin leaves that are aromatic. It has beautiful two-lipped flowers.
14) Severn Sea Rosemary
Another ornamental favorite due to its beautiful flowers. Further, its leaves are also greyish green with a polish like a luster to them.
15) Collingwood Ingram Rosemary
This rosemary has an aroma similar to that of camphor. Its fine texture makes it premium rosemary as compared to other varieties.
16) Golden Rain Rosemary
The bright yellow leaves of this rosemary give it a unique appearance. It has subtle blue flowers which add to the beauty of this ornamental plant.
17) Hill Hardy Rosemary
The unique spike-like leaves with white flowers are the easy identity of this plant. It has a subtle aroma and is one of the hardest rosemary varieties known today.
18) Trailing Rosemary
Prostrate rosemary is the same as trailing rosemary.
19) Dark Blue Rosemary
One of the prettiest rosemary varieties which features Deep blue flowers on light green stems. It has a bushy structure.
20) Roman Beauty Rosemary
Just like other varieties, its greyish green foliage is the reason for the aroma, and the ornamental flowers of this plant are Violet with shades of blue to them.
21) Pink Flowered Majorca
This rosemary plant has beautiful green branches that twirl around each other before cascading, and finally, pink blooms are seen too. The leaves of this plant feature a slightly fruity aroma.
22) Albiflorus
The beautiful white flowers of this rosemary plant among the dark green leaves are indeed a statement among the ornamental plants.
23) Nancy Howard
An aromatic rosemary plant has a beautiful white hue that changes to pink when the plant is matured.
24) Gold Dust
The narrow green leaves which are outline by gold color are the reason for the name of this type of rosemary. It is well aromatic and has deep blue flowers.
25) Athens Blue Spires
The greyish-green leaves, which almost resemble a needle, are the identity of this rosemary.
26) Benenden Blue
Its smooth and leathery leaves are beautiful and dark green with a lot of aromas to them. It small sky – blue flowers are a pretty sight.
27) Blue Boy
This variety features beautiful green leaves, which are highly aromatic and an edible blue flower, which is used as a culinary herb.
28) Haifa
The greenery of this plant is dark and pointed. It is often used for cooking and is a native of Europe and North Africa.
29) Joyce Debaggio
A yellow streaked attractive flower is the identity of the Joyce Debaggio rosemary plant. The resin-like the aroma of the leaves is also popular among many.
These varieties can broadly be classified as:
Different Colors of the Flower
Rosemary plants produce beautiful blooms, which are generally in the shades of blue. But then exceptions are always there like
Majorca Pink – Pink Flowers
Pinkie – Pink Lavender Flowers
Lady in white – White Flowers, etc
- Cold and hardy Rosemary
The name already describes the texture of this rosemary plant category. Some of its examples being the Arp variety, Madeline hill, Herb Cottage, Albus, and the Goodwin cheek.
- Creeping Rosemary
The rosemary’s which re best suited for ground covers fall under this category like Huntington carpet, Irene, and prostrate, or the prostrates rosemary.
- Mid Height Rosemary
Varieties like the Benenden Blue, Ken Taylor, and Collingwood Ingram are not ground covers, but neither are they as tall as the blue spires, or golden rains fall in this category.
- Tall Rosemary
Those rosemary plants which are taller than the usual ones fall under this class of rosemary. The examples are Tuscan blue, Miss Jessup’s Upright, Golden rain, and Blue Spires.
- Flavor
All types of rosemary are fit for culinary uses, but individual rosemary plants have bigger leaves than the others, and so their oil content is also more, and they have a unique taste as well. Those rosemary which has such a flavor are Gorizia, Tuscan Blue, Spice Island, and Blue Spires.
- Topiary
Those Rosemary plants which can be used as a substitute of Christmas tree are categorized under this head. These include varieties like Joyce Debaggio, Shady Acres, and Taylor’s Blue.
Conclusion
Rosemary comes in so many options, which eases the job of including it in your diet, and it is a must-have, especially when you know that this little herb can help you digest your food, boost your immunity, prevent you from aging, and several chronic diseases. These are just a few benefits from a humongous list that is offered by this herb.
So get going and find the rosemary that is best suited in your garden and the other one which is best for your food today.