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Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis L. – Lamiaceae (mint) Family

Synonyms: Rosmarinus coronarium

Parts Used: Leaves, flowers and twigs.

Harvest Season: Harvested when in full flower, usually in late spring.

Botanical Description: Evergreen shrub growing from 2-6 feet in height depending on the variety. The leaves are thick, very aromatic, resinous on the exterior, linear, the flowers are light to dark blue. It’s botanical name means, dew of the sea. (This is because rosemary naturally grows very near to the Mediterranean Sea.)

Origin: Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean from Spain to the Balkans and into North Africa. It is now cultivated worldwide, with Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, France and China being the major producers.

Growing Conditions: Rosemary likes a relatively dry, well-drained soil of average fertility. In the U.S. it grows best in California and parts of the Southwest, as well as in Texas and parts of the Southeast. It is hardy only into Zone 7.

Extraction Method: Rosemary is steam distilled.

Yield: .5 to 2%

Oil Characteristics: The oil is pale yellow to colorless and very mobile. It has a strong woody herbaceous top note, followed by a strong camphoraceous scent.

Aroma Profile: The top note is fresh, short-lived. The body note is woody-herbaceous, minty-forest-like, balsamic camphoraceous. The dry-out is less tenacious, camphoraceous.

Major Constituents: Rosemary (Spain) 1,8-cineole (15 to 25%), camphor (13 to 18.5%), α-pinene (18 to 26%), camphene (8 to 12%), β-pinene, myrcene, limonene, bornyl acetate, borneol, verbenone. Rosemary (Tunisia, Morocco) 1,8-cineole (38 to 55%), camphor (5 to 15%), α-pinene (9 to 14%), camphene (2.5 to 6%), β-pinene (4 to 9%), bornyl acetate, borneol, verbenone, linalool.

History: Rosemary has been used medicinally for several thousand years. It was considered sacred by the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Hebrews. The herb is one of the most popular cooking spices.

It was a popular ingredient in the famous Queen of Hungary water and in early colognes. It’s burning symbolized both life and death. The smoke and oil was inhaled for brain weakness—thus Shakespeare's line, "Rosemary is for remembrance."

Aromatherapy Benefits: Rosemary is stimulating, warming, purifying, antioxidant and antiseptic.

Clinical Studies: Rosemary has long been used as an antiseptic and it has been shown to have antimicrobial properties (1).

Rosemary has also been shown to have some antispasmodic action (2).

Cosmetic Uses: Rosemary is used in numerous skin care products for it’s stimulating and warming actions. It is used in hair care products to stimulate hair growth and prevent dandruff.

Safety: It is considered non-toxic in smaller doses, non-irritating and non-sensitizing. It is contraindicated in pregnancy and is not recommended in large doses.

Quality Issues: Rosemary can be adulterated with white camphor oil, fractions of eucalyptus oil and Spanish sage Oil.

Tim's Notes: In the right environment, rosemary is incredibly easy to grow and harvest. When harvested the resin sticks to your fingers and smells great for hours and hours. It's a very strong antioxidant and is commonly used to preserve food.

The oil is very strong and a little goes a long way. It only takes a couple of drops in a bathtub to do its thing. It helps me stay awake at night to drive and keeps me alert before meetings or when taking a test. It's excellent in a body mist

The old Shakespeare saying, "Rosemary is for remembrance" seems to be true—recent studies on rosemary have shown its ability to improve short-term memory.

References