When to Plant Rosemary
Rosemary is a half-hardy warm-season herb. It takes light frosts but not a hard freeze.
Plant it out from the last spring frost to 3 weeks after it. The first harvest comes about 60 to 90 days after planting.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | Apr 15 – May 6 | May 15 – Jun 5 |
| Harvest | May 14 – Oct 1 | Jun 14 – Nov 1 | Jul 14 – Dec 1 |
Growing rosemary
Rosemary survives winter outdoors only in mild areas, so in colder regions grow it in a pot and bring it in.
- Spacing: 18 in apart, in rows 24 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 60 to 90 from planting, then about 20 weeks of picking.
- Traditional companions: broccoli, brussels sprouts, bush bean, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, pea (shelling/snap/snow), pole bean. See companion plants for rosemary.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant rosemary and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
Can rosemary go in before the last frost?
No. Rosemary is best planted once the frosts are over: plant it out from the last spring frost to 3 weeks after it.
How long does rosemary take to grow?
About 60 to 90 days from planting to the first harvest, which then lasts about 20 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Iowa State: Growing, Harvesting, and Drying Herbs
- University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners (UC ANR): Use and Culture of Culinary Herbs (table from the California Master Gardener Handbook)
- Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System (J. Masabni): Growing Herbs (E-561, 2009)
- University of Maryland Extension: Care of Herbs and Starting Herbs from Seed
- WSU Extension King County Master Gardeners: Tip Sheet #8: Growing Herbs
- University of Illinois Extension: Start herb seeds indoors (news release, 2020)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden