Rosmarinus officinalis or Rosemary is an upright, hardy, woody stemmed, evergreen, low shrub with olive green, needle-like foliage that releases fragrant oils when crushed.
These oils are used for perfumes, herbal remedies and aromatherapy, and the uncrushed leaves are also a favourite ingredient in cooking (great sprinkled on a lamb roast !).
Rosemary produces lavender-blue coloured flowers throughout autumn, winter and spring.
Apart from its obvious culinary attributes it is also grown for its ornamental nature - though does need regular trimming to keep tight and bushy.
Cultivars include:
"Alba" - has white flowers through autumn, winter and spring.
"Pink" has pink flowers