The majority of my plants have been purchased by me at one store or another. Occasionally I’ve received a plant or two from my mother, but more often than not I’ve spent a few bucks to bring home a new specimen. Gifts? Forget it. Aside from my kids presenting me with some type of greenery on a special occasion (and even that hasn’t happened for the longest time), no one else ever thinks of giving me a potted plant on my birthday, at Christmas or whenever. Not at all. And donations? Forget that too. Nobody ever offers me a side shoot or a cutting from one of their plants.

I suppose you can’t really blame the people in my life for not giving me plants when you think about it, because the truth in the matter is that my houseplant world is much too intimidating for them. I mean, seriously. What do you give someone who has a lot of experience with plants, and a lot of plants growing inside her home because of that experience? A Dieffenbachia that she may already have? A Dracaena that she may not like? An unwanted Aglaonema that she’d shove in some corner? An unchallenging Sansevieria that she might find boring? Does she even want any more plants?

(For the record: 1) I’d never reject any plant given to me, regardless of whether it’s a plant that I do or do not favour or do or do not have and 2) there is always room for one more even when there’s no more room; somehow it works out.)

But this apprehensiveness only applies to the people that are very familiar with the true level of my plant obsession passion. For those who aren’t, it’s an entirely different story. Take my mother-in-law, for example. She has no idea that I’ve been growing indoor plants for the past two decades, that I have so many of them (she’s not here often enough) and that I even maintain a website about their care. No idea. So a few years ago, while visiting her at her place around Christmas, she offered me her Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) after I commented on how wonderful it smelled and that I’d never seen one growing indoors. And that’s the truth.

She offered it to me. I said “No, no, no. I can’t take your plant” And she said “Don’t be silly; I want you to have it.” And I said “No, I can’t” And she said “Yes, you can. Take it.” We went back and forth like this for awhile until one of us finally caved. Me. What can I say? I’m shamelessly weak.

So I took home my mother-in-law’s beautiful Rosemary that was growing happily in her living room - and killed it within a month. I felt really bad about that; I should have left it for her to enjoy. I clearly did not have enough experience to succeed with it.

But that was then.

Things are different now. With a little more knowledge under my belt, and additional hands-on care, I have a much better understanding of a Rosemary’s care requirements. And I’d like to share that information with you.


Growing A Rosemary Indoors

Rosmarinus Officinalis, referred to as Rosemary, is an erect, evergreen, slow-growing shrub that reaches a height of 36” as a houseplant. The narrow, needle-like leaves of this native of Mediterranean regions are dark green above, white below and strongly fragrant. Flowers appear in winter or spring in shades of white, pink, purple or blue and last through the summer. Rosemary plants are quite popular during the Christmas holidays and can be found in varying sizes and different forms at local greenhouses. They make a nice gift, especially when they are decorated with miniature ornaments and lights.

Rosemary can be quite tricky indoors and most people treat it as a disposable plant in the same way as they do a Cyclamen, Poinsettia and Amaryllis. But just like the other holiday favourites, Rosmarinus Officinalis is not a temporary houseplant. With proper care, it will thrive indoors.

One of the most essential needs of a Rosemary is proper watering. If you’ve never grown one of these plants before, one of two things may happen the first time you do: 1) you will kill it by over-watering it or 2) you will kill it by under-watering it. On your second attempt, you will most likely reverse the fatal blow; if you under-watered it the last time, you’ll probably over-water it this time. Sadly, most of these plants succumb to water blunders. I’m hoping that my advice below will help to prevent this.

A Rosemary needs to be kept evenly moist at all times; it cannot stand having its roots sitting in water nor can it stand having them dry out completely. This plant will just as easily die in a chronically dry environment as it will in a constantly drenched one. Good drainage is essential; grow this aromatic herb in an airy, fast-draining medium to help prevent under and over-watering. Water regularly during the active growth period and keep moist but not soggy. You can let the soil dry out slightly between watering but never completely.

Direct light is very important to your Rosemary. Select a location that offers 4 – 6 hours of sunlight per day. If you do not have a sunny spot available, a very bright location with filtered light may do the trick. If not, you will need to consider supplementing with artificial lights to keep your plant thriving.

During the winter months, it’s best to keep the plant on the cool side in temperatures between 10°C – 14°C (50°F - 57°F), at least for a few weeks, and especially at night. For the rest of the year medium temperatures between 18°C – 22°C (64°F – 71°F) are fine. The ideal choice is a sunny and cool location for a short while in the winter; if you cannot provide this for your Rosemary, at least try to avoid a room that is too hot.

Average humidity is fine; increase it if it gets too low. Make sure there is adequate ventilation to avoid stagnant air, which creates a haven for pests. Keep the air fresh and in constant motion by running floor or ceiling fans, and by opening up windows regularly. Repot your Rosemary into a larger container in the spring if it’s grown considerably, the root system has outgrown the pot and the plant’s thirst cannot be quenched no matter how often you water. Feed with a liquid fertilizer every month from spring to autumn. When spring arrives and all danger of frost has passed, you can move your plant outdoors for the summer.



That’s all there is to this ornamental, wonderfully fragrant plant. Given the right care, a Rosemary will flourish indoors for a very long time. And don’t worry if your first – or tenth - attempt at growing this plant ends badly; just enjoy it while you have it and try again another time. There’s no doubt that you’ll find a new batch of these lovely herbs for sale next Christmas.

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