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Herbs - CulinaryShrubs

Salvia rosmarinus 'Roman Beauty'^PBR (Ro)

'Roman Beauty' is a compact, bushy, evergreen shrub with arching stems bearing lnarrow, aromatic, mid- to dark green leaves and clusters of small, two-lipped, violet-blue flowers in late spring and early summer. Used as a culinary herb to flavour roasts, meat and vegetables, pasta, and added to syrups, cocktails, bread and cakes.

Synonyms

Rosmarinus 'Chris1'
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Roman Beauty'

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

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)

Botanical details

Family: Lamiaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy, Spreading branched
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: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Thrives without much attention in poor, well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered position. Suitable for use as a low, formal or informal hedge. See rosemary cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Patio and container plants
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Pruning group 9;. prune lightly and regularly to prevent the plant from becoming woody. If used as a hedge, trim lightly after flowering

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

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