USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6a-10b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
Height at Maturity: 2-5' depending on pruning
Width at Maturity: 2-5' depending on pruning
Spacing: 2' for solid hedges, 4'+ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Upright
Growth Rate: Fast
Flower Color: Soft Blue
Flower Size: Small
Flowering Period: Late Spring to Early Summer
Flower Type: Single
Fragrant Flowers: -
Foliage Color: Greyish Green
Fragrant Foliage: Yes!
Berries: -
Berry Color: -
Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun (6 or more hours of sunlight daily)
Water Needs: Average, low when established
Soil Type: Clay (well-drained),
Soil Moisture: Moist But Well-Drained
Soil pH: 6.0 - 7.5 (Moderately Acid to Slightly Alkaline)
Maintenance / Care: Low to Average
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Beneficial Pollinators, Visual Attention, Sensory Appeal
Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought (when established), Heat, Insect, Rabbit
A highly aromatic Rosemary with a robust flavor and perfect for hot and cold climates to -10F, 'Abraxas' is one of, if not the best, Rosmarinus for culinary purposes!
It forms a dense, upright, evergreen bush from 2 to 5 feet tall and wide with fragrant gray-green needles. In spring and early summer, it displays abundant soft-blue two-lipped flowers nestled in the foliage that hummingbirds, butterflies, and beneficial pollinators will appreciate. It is used in culinary dishes and partners well with chicken, lamb, and fish. As with all varieties of rosemary, Abraxas performs very well in garden beds and pots that gardeners above USDA Zone 6 can bring indoors for winter.
Landscape Uses
Abraxas Rosemary is a great culinary herb for the garden, growing 2 to 5 feet tall and wide, depending on pruning. It has the added appeal of distinctly gray-green evergreen foliage and soft-blue flowers, making it suitable for use in the ornamental landscape. In USDA Zones 6a-10b, it is ideal for an accent, grouping, or hedge in sunny landscape borders, garden beds, and home foundation plantings. In Zones north of 6, it can be grown in containers overwintered indoors during winter. Be sure to plant it near decks, patios, porches, and other outdoor living areas where the fragrance and the pretty blue flowers can be enjoyed up close. It is a natural choice for the herb or culinary garden and is a fine addition to coastal, rock, cottage, and fragrance gardens.
Growing Preferences
Abraxas Rosemary is easy to grow in a somewhat loose and moist to somewhat dry soil of average fertility and six or more hours of sunlight daily. Plants will tolerate shade, but foliage won't be as dense. Avoid planting sites where the soil can be wet or soggy for prolonged periods. It will tolerate dry periods but flowers best with moist soil. It can be pruned regularly for shaping or use in cooking.
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6, where this Rosemary plant variety is not reliably winter hardy, you'll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Helpful Articles
Click on the link below for helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, prune, feed, and water Rosemary plants in garden beds and containers.
How To Plant & Care For Rosemary Plants
