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Gary350
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Taste Rosemary Plant leaves before you buy it.

Spring I bought a no name Rosemary plant at the grocery store then planted it in the garden. It grew into a nice big plant but it has no flavor. It tastes about the same as green tree leaves. I tasted several other tree leaves they all taste about the same not the same flavor of grass. It seems like Rosemary sold in the grocery store should have flavor intended to eat on food???

Every time we go to Kroger or Walmart I taste a leaf from a Rosemary plant so far none have any flavor at all.

Few days ago I found a Rosemary plant at Lowe's trimmed to the shape of a small 1 ft tall Christmas tree. Leaves on this Rosemary plant have a very good Rosemary flavor.

When I lived in AZ I bought a Rosemary plant at Sprouts it had a very good Rosemary flavor.
Last edited by Gary350 on Sat Nov 24, 2018 11:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.

imafan26
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Rosemary used to be simple. There were only 2 kinds. The upright r. officinalis with long leaves and blue flowers in summer for culinary uses and the prostrate rosemary with white flowers that were more for ground covers.

There are many more cultivars that are showing up at stores and they do taste a bit different. The ones with the longer leaves are usually better for cooking.


https://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-p ... ry-for-you

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applestar
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I have two container rosemary plants that I bring indoors for the winter.

Just yesterday, I was trimming one that I’m trying to style like a pine tree Bonsai — that one is in the Green Room — and just this morning, I brushed against the one in the garage that needs to be pruned a bit since it is reaching too much into the walkway... and was thinking how refreshing the strong fragrance is. I love rosemary.

pepperhead212
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Years ago I grew a variety of rosemary - ARP - which was supposed to be very cold resistant, but the flavor just wasn't the same as traditional rosemary. It eventually died from the cold, but it did survive much colder weather. This year, I had to replace my rosemary, so I ordered some Hill Hardy, from Richter's, and planted 2 in the ground, and one in a 4 gallon fabric pot. The one in tje pot got huge (about 2' wide x 1 1/2' high) , in just 5 months, while the two in the ground are under a foot. I brought the pot into my back porch; if it gets too cold there, I'll bring it inside. I covered one of the outside on the day it was really cold, but left the other uncovered. I'll see what happens.

Here's the selection of rosemary that Richter's has:
https://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_ ... _button=Go

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Gary350
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Which Rosemary has the best flavor?

pepperhead212
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Not sure, but the Hill Hardy is as good as the 15 year old plant that I had. And that was just "rosemary" that I bought somewhere. It would be hard to sample all of those varieties!

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applestar
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Thanks for that link pepperhead212! ...I’m looking at the Spice Island rosemary.... 8) And I’d like to try Madeleine Hill hardy rosemary, too. :D

...I’m pretty sure the ones I currently have are either unnamed regular Rosemary that was originally shaped like a mini-Christmas tree made up from 4 plants or Arp rosemary, but I lost their tags. :oops:

imafan26
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I just have the long needled ones that were labeled rosemary officinalis. Tuscan blue was o.k. The prostrate rosemary is not that great for eating.

pepperhead212
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applestar wrote:Thanks for that link pepperhead212! ...I’m looking at the Spice Island rosemary.... 8) And I’d like to try Madeleine Hill hardy rosemary, too. :D
If you want we to, I'll air layer a plant for you from that large plant in the pot. Not sure how fast it will work in the cold, however, so I'll probably wait until spring, to start. It was easy and fast when I've done it several times before. I did it with that 15 year old one at 6 years old, so the second one that I lost at the same time was 9 years old.

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applestar
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Oooh! that would be terrific — thank you, pepperhead212! :D

I’ve found rosemary to be average difficulty in rooting. Not easy but not super difficult either, so I’ve no doubt you’ll be successful — you’re better at this than I am. I’ll have to work on something to trade with you! :wink:

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digitS'
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Maybe 10 years ago, I bought a Rex rosemary plant from Richter. It has a wonderful flavor. Potted, it goes in and out of an unheated greenhouse through the winter. If temperatures outdoors are to go below 15°f, that is my cue to cover it with a tarp for additional protection.

I haven't wanted to respond to this thread because, I can't remember the name of the rosemary seed I bought in 2017. I hadn't seen a named seed before and then a couple showed up on the market. The seed germination was great. The plants reached a size this year where harvesting some could be chanced. Not nearly as good as the Rex ...

Now, they are very slow growing and I want to give them another year. Maybe the plants will change with a little maturity. It should not take me a year to remember the name!

Steve

imafan26
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You had better luck than I have had with seeds. They were very slow to germinate for me and I don't remember any survivors. I do rosemary from cuttings. If you take them when they are in a growth phase, they can root in six weeks. When they are dormant it can take 6-7 months and some of the cuttings won't make it.

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digitS'
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Okay. Renee's Garden looks like it was the source for Oasis rosemary, a couple of years ago.

I thought that might be the case but when I looked at their current, online catalog: their rosemary seed is listed as "French." Whether it is the same or not, I don't know.

A similar experience was having a friend pick up a packet of rosemary seed at the California Baker Creek store. She kindly mailed it to me. Online, Baker Creek had a "Rosy" rosemary but the seed packet didn't have a variety name. Still haven't planted any - bought the Oasis, instead.

Yes, after the germination success with Oasis, I was surprised that so much of the seed started well. I don't know that it is all that good of an idea to grow rosemary from seed. I tried a French tarragon this year --- I think it was a mistake. No flavor, no scent ... Some things work from seed. 2019, I should again try marjoram. I was happy with those plants and promptly lost all of them over their first winter.

Steve



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