Rosmarinus: Dew of the Sea

From Mediterranean shores to your Sunday lunch: the surprisingly rich history of everyone's favourite herb

This week, after a lovely Easter of too much chocolate and roast dinner, my curated herbarium is open to the herb rosemary. Most of you are probably familiar with rosemary. Originally from the Mediterranean, it is actually really diverse and happily grows pretty much anywhere. This is aided by its specialised leaves, the tops of which are green, but the undersides appear white and woolly, helping to retain moisture. Ideal for warmer, drier climates.

What you may not know is that rosemary recently had a name change. Originally called Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosmarinus meaning 'dew of the sea', officinalis meaning 'workshop/pharmacy'), in 2019 rosemary was reclassified as Salvia rosmarinus after it was discovered that rosemary is closely related to sage and mint. All three are part of the Lamiaceae family, and I use all three when making a roast.

Traditionally, rosemary has been associated with:

• warding off bad dreams

• attracting loved ones (not sure if this is just about the scent or includes some serious cooking skills)

• aiding digestion

• reducing inflammation

• memory

• hair growth (more on that shortly)

In fact, recent research has found that inhaling rosemary extract really does aid memory in the short term. Rosemary extract contains a compound called 1,8-cineole which can work in a similar way to dementia medication, by slowing the breakdown of a particular neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. It is perhaps no surprise then that rosemary extract appears so frequently in skincare and wellness products.

Personally, even when using rosemary oil on my scalp, the smell always takes me back to my childhood and to being tasked with cutting a few sprigs to add to the Sunday roast — not quite the scent that I want to associate with my hair, but a happy one nonetheless.

Next I'll be delving into the fungarium and looking at Fairy Inkcaps.