Rosemary 'Arp' (Salvia rosmarinus)

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Botanical name: Salvia rosmarinus‍ ‍ • Bloom season: Spring • Bloom color: Pale blue • Pollinator value: Very early nectar for honey bees

Upright, resinous, needle-leaved and evergreen, with pale blue flowers very early in the season. 'Arp' is the cold-hardiest rosemary in general cultivation, which is why it is the one worth trying here. Its flowers open earlier than almost anything else in the garden, giving honeybees a meal when there is essentially nothing else.

Photo credit: Ashley @Sage.and.Summit

Botanical name: Salvia rosmarinus‍ ‍ • Bloom season: Spring • Bloom color: Pale blue • Pollinator value: Very early nectar for honey bees

Upright, resinous, needle-leaved and evergreen, with pale blue flowers very early in the season. 'Arp' is the cold-hardiest rosemary in general cultivation, which is why it is the one worth trying here. Its flowers open earlier than almost anything else in the garden, giving honeybees a meal when there is essentially nothing else.

Photo credit: Ashley @Sage.and.Summit

Size:

Plant Characteristics

Botanical Name: Salvia rosmarinus

Cultivar: 'Arp'

Common Name: Rosemary

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low

Bloom Time: Spring

Bloom Color: Pale blue

Pollinators: Bees

Deer Resistant: Yes

Mature Size: W 3'-4' x H 3'-4'

Soil: Sharply drained; lean, gritty soil

Pollinator Value: Very early nectar for honey bees

Plant Type: Evergreen shrub

USDA Zones: 6 to 10

Spread Habit: Clumping

Available As: Live plant

Growing Notes

Full sun and sharply drained, lean, gritty ground, in the warmest and most sheltered spot available: against a south-facing wall, out of the wind, with gravel rather than bark at the base. 'Arp' is marginal in Reno winters, so growing it in a large pot you can move to shelter is the reliable approach.

  • Water: Low

  • Sun: Full Sun

  • Soil: Sharply drained; lean, gritty soil

  • Mature size: W 3'-4' x H 3'-4'

Maintenance

Prune lightly after flowering to shape, never into bare old wood. Do not fertilize or overwater, especially in winter, when wet cold kills far more rosemary than dry cold. In a container, water sparingly through winter and keep it in a bright, cool, protected spot rather than a warm indoor room. Brush off the snow as you would with succulents. It also helps to give them rock mulch and plant them next to reflective stone or rocks.