Other Names:  Largeflower Rosemary, Wild Rosemary, Conradina

Description:

An evergreen, upright spreading shrub, with branches that are covered with aromatic, green, needle-like foliage; leaves release a mint fragrance when crushed; large lavender flowers appear year round; an excellent groundcover for sunny, sandy areas

Ornamental Features

Large-flowered False Rosemary features showy clusters of fragrant lavender pea-like flowers with purple overtones, white eyes and deep purple spots along the branches from early spring to late fall. It has green evergreen foliage which emerges chartreuse in spring. The small fragrant narrow leaves remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Large-flowered False Rosemary is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Large-flowered False Rosemary is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Large-flowered False Rosemary will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America.

Large-flowered False Rosemary makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.