Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'
Tuscan Blue is an upright rosemary with fragrant evergreen leaves you can cut for the kitchen all year. It grows about 3 to 6 feet tall with a stiff, upright habit. It works as a low-water hedge, a border shrub or a big pot on the patio. Lavender-blue flowers open from winter into spring, with more in fall, and bees crowd them. Give it full sun and soil that drains fast.
Best for: a fragrant low-water hedge or border, a kitchen herb you can cut year round, pots on a sunny patio, and winter flowers for bees.
Its stiff, upright form reaches about 3 to 6 feet, making a fragrant hedge or border on little water. For a hedge row, set plants about 2 to 3 feet apart. A light trim after bloom keeps it dense.
It is culinary rosemary, so you can cut sprigs for cooking year round. The leaves are dark green on top, strongly aromatic and evergreen.
Lavender-blue flowers open from winter into spring, with more in fall. Bees crowd them at a time of year when little else blooms.
Flat, poorly drained clay and frequent summer watering cause root rot, which looks like the plant is drying out. It slows down from July to September and does better with some shade from the west in the hottest spots.
- Tight hedge row2 ft apart
- Looser hedge row3 ft apart
Water new plants every few days in warm months while they root. Once rooted, water every one to four weeks by season. Soil that stays wet in summer rots the roots.
Plant it in full sun. Sun and soil that drains keep it dense and healthy.
Prune lightly after the spring bloom. Never cut it back to bare wood, since rosemary rarely recovers from a hard chop.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Can rosemary take full sun in Phoenix?
Yes. It needs full sun and handles dry heat once rooted. In the hottest spots, some shade from the west helps it through July to September.
Why is my rosemary dying?
Too much water is a common cause, because soil that stays wet rots the roots. Let the soil dry between waterings, and hold off while it is still damp.
How tall does Tuscan Blue rosemary get?
It grows about 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, upright rather than trailing. For a hedge, set plants about 2 to 3 feet apart.
When does Tuscan Blue rosemary bloom?
It blooms from winter into spring, with more flowers in fall. The lavender-blue flowers draw bees.
How often should I water rosemary?
Water new plants every few days in warm months while they root. Once rooted, give it infrequent deep soaks, about every one to four weeks by season, and let the soil dry between waterings in summer.
What soil does rosemary need?
It needs soil that drains fast. It grows best in gravelly, sandy or loam soil and does poorly in flat, poorly drained clay, so pick a spot where water drains away.
Can I cook with Tuscan Blue rosemary?
Yes. It is culinary rosemary, so cut sprigs as you need them.
How do I prune rosemary?
Prune it lightly after the spring bloom. Never cut it back to bare wood, since rosemary rarely recovers from a hard chop.
Is rosemary cold hardy in the Valley?
Yes. It is rated to about 15°F, and it looks its best in the cool months, so Valley winters do not hurt it.
Can I grow rosemary in a pot?
Yes. It grows well in patio pots and raised planters. Give it fast-draining soil there too.
Rosemary 'Tuscan Blue' for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Tuscan Blue rosemary is an upright, fragrant, low-water shrub that doubles as a kitchen herb. It looks its best in the cool months and slows down in summer, when too much water is the main way people lose it. Below are the questions people ask most, from watering and spacing to hot walls and pruning.
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Growing rosemary in Phoenix
Plant it in full sun in soil that drains fast. Once rooted it needs only infrequent deep watering. It grows most in the cool months and rests in summer.
Why rosemary dies in Arizona
Overwatering in summer causes root rot, which makes the plant look dry. People add more water and make it worse, so check the soil before watering.
How big does Tuscan Blue rosemary get?
It grows about 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide in an upright shape. It works as a hedge, border shrub or patio pot.
How far apart do you plant rosemary for a hedge?
Set Tuscan Blue about 2 to 3 feet apart center to center for a hedge row. The plants fill in as they reach 3 to 5 feet wide.
Rosemary flowers and bees
Lavender-blue flowers open from winter into spring, with more in fall. Bees crowd them when little else is in bloom.
Rosemary by hot walls
It takes full sun, but the hottest west-facing spots push it hard from July to September. Some shade from the west helps in peak summer.
Is rosemary cold hardy in Phoenix?
Yes. It is rated to about 15°F and looks its best through the cool months.
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