The Medicinal Herb Info site was created to help educate visitors about the often forgotten wisdom of the old ways of treating illnesses. Many of today's drugs and medicines were originally derived from natural ingredients, combinations of plants and other items found in nature.

We are not suggesting that you ignore the help of trained medical professionals, simply that you have additional options available for treating illnesses. Often the most effective treatment involves a responsible blend of both modern and traditional treatments.

We wish you peace and health!

Rosemary

Scientific Names

Rosemary

  • Rosmarinus officinalis L.
  • Labiatae
  • Mint family

Common Names

  • Garden rosemary
  • Mi-tieh-hsiang (Chinese name)
  • Rosemary plant

Back to Top


Parts Usually Used

Leaves and flowers
Back to Top


Rosemary

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub with numerous branches; ash-colored. scaly bark and bears opposite, leathery, thick leaves which are lustrous and dark green above and downy white underneath. They have a prominent vein in the middle and margins which are rolled down. The pale blue, sometimes white, relatively small, flowers grow in short axillary racemes, arranged in false whorls on the upper parts of the branches, blooming during April and May, or later in cooler climates. Zone 5.

Because it is not winter-hardy, it seldom succeeds in finding a home in the gardens north of Florida and southern California, but it is frequently grown in flower pots. Rosemary needs an alkaline soil in a sunny, well-drained spot. To harvest, cut 4-inch sections from the tip of the plant.

Varieties of rosemary: Prostratus, Collingwood Ingram, Tuscan blue, Arp, Hardy Hill.
Back to Top


Where Found

Originated in the Mediterranean are and is now widely cultivated for its aromatic leaves and as a kitchen seasoning.
Back to Top


Medicinal Properties

Stimulant, antiviral, diaphoretic, carminative, nervine, aromatic, cephalic antispasmodic.
Back to Top


Legends, Myths and Stories

In the sixth century Charlemagne decreed that rosemary should be grown in all the imperial gardens, and it was beloved by the Romans long before that. Romans made crowns and garlands of Rosemary. Centuries later, Anne of Cleves, bride of King Henry VIII, “wore on her head a circlet of gold and precious stones set full with dainty twigs of Rosemary.”

In Queen Elizabeth’s time, this herb was considered an emblem of fidelity to lovers and was worn at weddings, funerals, and to give to friends.

They were used in sick rooms to “correct the air” when infections were present. The dried leaves were shredded and used in a pipe like tobacco to help a cough. Used in herbal or tobacco mixtures in England, where smoking was first introduced by Sir Walter Raleigh. The ashes of burnt Rosemary was rubbed on loose teeth to fasten and beautify.

Rosemary’s name is derived from its Latin name Rosmarinus, meaning “dew of the sea” and referring to its blue flowers or to the fact that this herb thrives by the seashore, especially in Spain where its thick growth covers the cliffs.

To explain the range in the color of rosemary’s flowers from a pale bluish-white to a deep blue, Christian legend claims that flowers were originally white but were turned varying shade of blue when Mary hung her blue cloak over a rosemary bush. Since the rosemary plant seldom grows higher than a man’s height, it was believed that rosemary grew to the height of Christ in 33 years, and after that it grew thicker but not higher.

13th century manuscript: If the leaves be put beneath your pillow, you will be well protected from troublesome dreams and all mental anxiety. Used as a lotion, this herb or its oil will cure all pains in the head, and a spoonful of the herb mixed with honey and melted butter cannot but help your coughing.

Rosemary was taken by the Roman Empire to China during the reign of Wenti of the Wei dynasty (452 AD). Valued for its fragrance, it was used in perfume, and when burned it was supposed to drive away demons and mosquitoes.

Through the ages, many legends have been woven about many plants, but probably none as fanciful as those of rosemary. Most of the following legends were from sources more than 300 years old:

“Old English belief: where Rosemary flourishes, woman rules.”

“See the Rosemary in vinegar or wine, and let a thief wash his feet therein, and he shall neither rob, steale, nor fright any man.”

“Lay Rosemary on thy pillow, to keepe thee from all evill dreams.”

“To be delivered from all evills, boyle the leaves of Rosemary in strong vinegar and apply them to thy stomach.”
Back to Top


Uses

A fine tonic for the scalp and skin, adds luster to the hair and is a common ingredient of many commercial shampoos.

A valuable heart and liver tonic and also helps reduce high blood pressure. Used to treat ‘nerves’, digestive disorders, palsy, weak memory, dizziness, migraine, dandruff, stimulates hair growth, restore appetite, gas, clears sight, jaundice, consumption, and menstrual pains.

An old fashioned remedy for colds, colic, and nervous conditions. Very good for headaches. Should be taken warm for these complaints.

It acts to raise blood pressure and improve circulation.

Good as a mouthwash for bad breath, gums, and sore throat. Aids digestion, cough, consumption, and strengthens the eyes.

Because of the real danger of poisoning, rosemary is more often used externally. Leaves cooked in wine or a salve made from rosemary oil is useful for rheumatism, sores, eczema, bruises, age spots, marks and scars, and wounds.

An infusion of the leaves has also been used, alone or with borax, as a scalp wash to prevent baldness.

The leaves are used for flavoring. The oil is used as a perfume for ointments and liniments. Is reported to prevent premature baldness.

Today, rosemary is still regarded as an antidote to mental fatigue and forgetfulness. A tisane (tea) of this herb is becoming popular with tired businessmen and students who find it refreshing and a good natural remedy for bringing added agility to the intellect.
Back to Top


Formulas or Dosages

Infusion: steep 1 tsp. dried flowering tops or leaves in 1/2 cup water. Take up to 1 cup per day.

Tea: prepare ordinary tea, put a pinch of ground ginger in the drink for variety. Drink 3 or 4 cups per day.

Tincture: a dose is from 5 to 20 drops.
Back to Top


How Sold

Sold commercially as a spice.
Back to Top


Warning

Excessive amounts of rosemary taken internally can cause fatal poisoning.

Rosemary oil may not be taken internally, because it irritates the
stomach, intestinal tract, and kidneys.

Pregnant women should not drink rosemary tea.
Back to Top


Resource Links

Herbs That Fight Viruses

LiveStrong.com: Rosemary for Psoriasis

LiveStrong.com: Rosemary Herb & Hair Growth

LiveStrong.com: Rosemary Oil for Psoriasis

University of Maryland Medical Center: Rosemary

Drugs.com: Rosemary

PubMed.gov: Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata

PubMed.gov: Suppression of the nuclear factor-kappaB activation pathway by spice-derived phytochemicals: reasoning for seasoning.

Back to Top


Bibliography

Buy It! Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss; Back to Eden Publishing Co., Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994

Buy It! The Herb Book, by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974.

Buy It! Chinese Medicinal Herbs, compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973.

Buy It! Old Ways Rediscovered, by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, published from 1954, print 1988

Buy It! Culpeper’s Complete Herbal & English Physician: Updated With 117 Modern Herbs, by Nicholas Culpeper, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1990, (reprint of 1814)

Buy It! Earl Mindell’s Herb Bible, by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., Simon & Schuster/Fireside, Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020

Buy It! The Herbalist Almanac, by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1988, fifth printing, 1994

Buy It! The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, by Dr. H.C.A. Vogel; Keats Publishing, Inc., 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. Vogel, Teufen (AR) Switzerland 1952, 1991

Buy It! The Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993

Buy It! Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, Shambala Publications, Inc., Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973

Herbal Gardening, compiled by The Robison York State Herb Garden, Cornell Plantations, Matthaei Botanical Gardens of the University of Michigan, University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley., Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition

Buy It!The Magic of Herbs, by David Conway, published by Jonathan Cape, Thirty Bedford Square, London, England. (Out of print)

Buy It! Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., O.M.D., Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. WI 53181., Copyright 1988, published 1992

Buy It! American Folk Medicine, by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973

Buy It! The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine, by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988.

Buy It! Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, Victoria Neufeldt, Editor in Chief, New World Dictionaries: A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023

Buy It! The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living, by Richard Lucas, Parker Publishing Co. (1988).

Buy It! Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists, by Richard Lucas, Parker Publishing Company, Inc., West Nyack, NY, 1987.

Buy It! The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book), edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. Emmaus, PA, 18049., 1974

Buy It! Country Home Book of Herbs, Meredith Books, Editorial Dept. RW240, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023, copyright 1994

Buy It! The Healing Plants, by Mannfried Pahlow, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. 250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788, 1992

Back to Top

Share