Rosmarinus 'Ginger' – Ginger Rosemary

Product Description

Ginger Rosemary is a neat, vigorous evergreen culinary shrub with narrow, dark-green aromatic leaves that release a distinctive ginger-like fragrance and flavour when brushed or crushed. It produces delicate light-blue to white flowers from mid-spring through summer, with occasional flowering into autumn.

This unusual rosemary is both ornamental and edible, making it an excellent addition to herb gardens, borders, pots and sunny landscaping. It can be lightly pruned and shaped into a compact shrub or low informal hedge. South African nursery sources describe it as reaching approximately 500 mm × 500 mm.

Common Names

• Ginger Rosemary
• Ginger-scented Rosemary
• Green Ginger Rosemary
• Green Ginger

Correct Botanical Name

Salvia rosmarinus 'Green Ginger'

Former botanical names/synonyms: Rosmarinus 'Ginger', Rosmarinus officinalis 'Ginger' and Rosmarinus 'Green Ginger'. The genus Rosmarinus has been incorporated into Salvia, making Salvia rosmarinus the current botanical classification.

Product Details

• Plant Type: Evergreen culinary shrub
• Foliage: Narrow, dark-green, highly aromatic leaves
• Flowers: Light blue to white
• Approx. Mature Size: ±500 mm × 500 mm
• Growth Habit: Bushy and upright
• Use: Culinary and ornamental

Benefits

• 🌿 Distinctive ginger-scented foliage
• 🍳 Culinary herb
• 🌸 Attractive flowers
• 🐝 Flowers provide nectar and pollen for pollinating insects.
• ☀️ Excellent for sunny, water-wise gardens
• ✂️ Can be shaped and lightly clipped
• 🌱 Evergreen
• 🪴 Suitable for containers

Recommended Growing Medium & Compost

Ginger Rosemary performs best in well-drained soil and does not require rich soil. The RHS specifically lists loam, sand and chalk soils and recommends well-drained conditions.

Recommended:

• Good-quality loamy or sandy garden soil
• A moderate amount of mature compost
• Coarse grit or similar drainage material if soil is heavy
• Avoid excessive compost or water-retentive growing media

Recommended Fertiliser

Because rosemary naturally performs well in relatively lean soil, avoid heavy feeding.

For Garden Mecca customers:

• Use a light application of balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring.
• Mature compost can be used sparingly as an organic amendment.
• Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can encourage soft, overly lush growth at the expense of the plant's compact form and aromatic qualities.

Growing Conditions

• ☀️ Light: Full sun
• 💧 Water: Moderate; allow soil to dry slightly between watering once established
• 🌱 Soil: Well drained
• 🌿 pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline
• 🌬️ Position: Sheltered
• 💧 Drought tolerance: Good once established.
• ✂️ Pruning: Lightly prune after flowering to maintain shape