Salvia rosmarinus 'Blue Rain' (Ro)

RHS Plant Profile
rosemary 'Blue Rain'

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Synonyms

Rosmarinus officinalis 'Blue Rain'

Plants for pollinators
Herbs - Culinary Shrubs
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A low, spreading evergreen shrub, to around 30cm high, with highly aromatic, linear dark green leaves with pale, felted undersides. Small, pale blue flowers are produced in the leaf axils, over a relatively long period in late spring and early summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Lamiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Trailing
Potentially harmful
Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus
Salvia can be annuals, biennials, herbaceous or evergreen perennials, or shrubs. They have paired, simple or pinnately lobed, often aromatic leaves and 2-lipped flowers in whorls, forming simple or branched spikes or racemes
Name Status
Unresolved
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

This genus has changed from Rosmarinus to Salvia

How to Grow

Cultivation

Thrives in a sunny spot, in light, well-drained soil that is not too acidic. Protect from excess winter wet, and from hard frosts in colder locations. See rosemary cultivation for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by heel cuttings in spring or by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Hanging Basket
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Patio and container plants
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Banks and slopes
  • Ground cover

Pruning

Pruning group 9

Pests

May be susceptible to rosemary beetle, cuckoo spit, sage leafhopper, tortrix moth and scale insects

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews, verticillium wilt and foot and root rots