Rosemary is a plant that is usually included in the design of gardens and terraces that have a Mediterranean style: it withstands the impact of the sun very well, and also does not require much water to stay alive. Nor is it one that usually suffers from the attack of pests; in fact, it acts as a repellent for the most common, such as mosquitoes, whiteflies, fleas and caterpillars.
But even if they are not especially large, their flowers can help to further beautify the area they are in, to the point that they are missing when they do not sprout. For these reasons, there are those who wonder when rosemary blooms, and what can be done to produce them.
What is the rosemary flower like?
Rosemary is a shrubby plant whose scientific name is sage rosmarinus (before it was Rosmarinus officinalis). It is native to the Mediterranean region, where it grows from 0 to 1500 meters above sea level. One of its main characteristics is that it produces small but very numerous flowers, 5 millimeters long, and of a color that ranges from white to purple, passing through pink.
They have a bilabiate corolla formed by a single piece, and two stamens with a curved shape that protrude from the corolla. In addition, they are axillary, which means that they sprout from the very axilla of the leaves; aromatic and melliferous. For pollination they depend on insects, such as bees, which feed on the nectar with which they make honey.
When does it bloom?
This is a plant that blooms several times a year, but undoubtedly its time of greatest splendor coincides with the end of winter / beginning of spring. When there are many plants that remain at rest, this shrub can brighten the day a bit while we wait for the spring heat to dismiss the winter.
Likewise, it must be said that they are a relief for many insects, such as bees, since they feed on the pollen of their flowers. Although, as we said above, they are also interesting for us, since their honey has an exquisite flavor.
What does it mean for rosemary to bloom?
As it is a plant that has been cultivated for a long time, it has given rise to a series of beliefs and / or myths. For example, I don't remember any All Saints' Day (November 1) without going through some Majorcan houses and not seeing two or three branches of rosemary hanging face down in the front door. Why?
Well, many believe that rosemary symbolizes immortality. In fact, in other parts of Europe it was customary to have a branch, and better if it had flowers, of this plant while celebrating the funeral of a loved one. Even if we travel a little further back in history, when the ancient Egyptians were ruled by pharaohs and the pyramids were splendid, we will see that they took a few twigs, chopped them, and then put them in the hands of their deceased.
In a slightly more recent time, In the XNUMXth century, it was common to have rosemary leaves and / or flowers under the bed. And you ask yourself, what is beneficial about that? Well, as we know, sleeping well is very important for the proper functioning of our entire body. So, at a time when the medicines we have today were not available, having insomnia or nightmares was a very, very serious problem. To try to solve it, there are those who resorted to this practice, since they thought that this way they could sleep peacefully.
Another interesting fact is that rosemary has always been associated with good things: happiness, good luck, sincerity. In England it was customary to wear a branch on your jacket, in full view of everyone, every time you went to work for a company. It was something that was frowned upon, as it was a way of saying that you wanted the business to run smoothly and be successful.
What to do to make the rosemary bloom?
Flowers are pretty, but what do you have to do to make them bud? The most important is make sure the plant is being well cared for. We often make the mistake of watering it too much, or putting it in an area where it does not feel comfortable, and of course, it does not bloom. So, what are the care we should give it? The following:
- Location: we must put our rosemary in an area where the sun shines directly. Therefore, it is important that it is abroad.
- Earth:
- Irrigation: generally scarce. You have to water a couple of times a week in summer, and less the rest of the year.
- Subscriber: from the beginning of spring to the end of summer it is advisable to fertilize it with natural fertilizers, such as compost for example.
- Transplant: regardless of whether you need a larger pot or whether you want to plant in the garden, it must be done in spring, when it has rooted well and the roots are showing through the holes in the pot.
- Rusticity: rosemary is resistant to frost down to -7ºC.
I hope it has been useful for you to know when rosemary blooms, and what you should do so that each year it produces its flowers.