When walking by the physics room, or through the staff parking lot by the attendance office, you may have noticed a light, crisp, herbal sent. You may have already recognized the scent from a spice you once used in the kitchen, that’s right it is the plant rosemary. Rosemarinus Officianalis, common name Rosemary, can grow anywhere from one foot to six. Keep in mind the plants on the school campus are on the larger end of that scale. When you first approach the plant, you may notice that it has an overall spiny appearance. Upon closer examination, you can see that this prickly appearance is actually caused by the plants leaves. Each stem on the rosemary plant is covered from root to tip in these small, pointy leaves. Each leaf is tiny, only about 2-4 cm in length and very narrow at only about 2-5 mm in width. These needle-like leaves are dark green on the upper surface and pale green underneath. If you feel a leaf you can probably feel the thin layer of “hairs” which cover both sides of the leaf and help control water evaporation. While you are looking at the leaf, take a peek at the structure of the veins inside the leaf. If you flip it over and examine the underside, the net-like vein structure is apparent. This type of structure helps us classify the plant as a Dicot. If it is during the spring or summer time, you may also witness the blooming of the plants flowers. These light blue flowers grow in clusters of three to seven and are found between the middle and upper part of the stalk. The main purpose of these flowers is of course to aid the plant in reproduction. The flower attracts bees, birds and other insects which in turn help pollinate the plant.
Rosemary grows best in Mediterranean climates, like the central valley. Ironically it also grows very well along the rugged, foggy coastline among the rocks. Although it can be found in most parts of the US it is only native to parts of California, Oregon, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Rosemary thrives best in direct sunlight for most of the day. Even though this extreme amount of sunlight may seem excessive, the plant actually produces far more flowers when set in a high sunlight area. The plant does so well with little water that in fact, if a soil is too dense or compacted, it will not allow for proper water drainage and rot the roots of the plant. Therefore it is healthiest when planted in sandy or rocky soil.
Rosemary has been used for centuries as a spice in all types of food, especially Italian. It is also the herb of remembrance, so don’t forget the next time you walk by the physics room or through the staff parking lot, to grab a couple stalks, you never know it could help you pass that math test!
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