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GENERAL
Origin
:
temperate
Vigour
:
normal growth
rate
Humidity
:
semi-arid, semi-
humid, very
humid
Propagation :
sowing and
pricking out,
cuttings
Maintenance :
moderate
CONDITIONS
Urban climate :
resistant
Dessication :
resistant
Stagnant water :
vulnerable
Irrigation
:
medium
Salinity/ppm :
moderate (3000
ppm)
Hardiness
:
-9°C
SHAPE
Type
:
shrub, sub-shrub
Height
:
0.5 m-1.5 m
Spread
:
1 m-3 m
Foliage
:
evergreen
FLOWER
Colour
:
pale blue, pale
white
Size
:
1 cm
Period
:
March - May
Smell
:
aroma, strong,
pleasantly
scented, leaf,
spicy
FRUIT
Type of fruit :
nutlet
Fruit size
:
0.2 cm
Toxicity
:
edible, leaf
Rosmarinus officinalis is known as Rosemary in English, and huss alban and iklil al jabal in
Arabic. It is native to the Middle East, southern and southeastern Europe. Its climate zone is tem-
perate. Rosemary normally grows close to coastlines. The name is based on this habit: ‘ros’ means
dew, ‘marinus’ stands for ocean. The evergreen, dwarf-like shrub grows between 50 cm and 1.5
metres high. The shape of the shrub is often round, oval to irregular. The linear leaves are a fresh,
dark green. The foliage emits an appealing spicy fragrance in its preferred sunny locations. Rose-
mary is a very tasty herb. The 1-cm, pale-blue, bee-attracting flowers appear in early spring and
are arranged raceme-like on the branches. The fruits are brown nutlets. Rosemary requires medi-
um irrigation, with low salinity. Propagation methods include sowing and pricking, as well as by
cuttings. Owing to its natural habitat, Rosemary prefers locations with a good micro-climate and
semi-humid conditions and is frost tolerant. Rosemary is best planted in groups, or in massed
planting, as a groundcover or a low hedge. It is attractive in rock or steppe gardens, as well as in
private gardens. In urban areas it can be used in public open spaces, parks, pedestrian precincts
and in containers. Rosmarinus off. ‘Prostratus’ is the creeping variety, and it has the same re-
quirements and habits as the main species. The prostrate form is excellent for covering the tops
of walls. In the early 1980s (CE), the plant’s first use in Arriyadh was in the Diplomatic Quarter.
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Rosmarinus officinalis,
Lamiaceae
Rosemary,
Anthos, huss alban, iklil al jabal