Rosemary Plant For Sale

Rosemary is one of the most reliable and rewarding plants you can grow in an Australian garden. Native to the sun-baked coasts of the Mediterranean, it adapts beautifully to Australia's warm, dry conditions — thriving in climates that would stress lesser plants. Whether you're building a fragrant hedge along a driveway, growing fresh herbs for the kitchen, or softening a rocky garden bed with cascading colour, there is a rosemary variety ideally suited to your needs.

At Online Plants, we have spent over 50 years helping Australian gardeners select, grow and enjoy the right plants for their conditions. Our rosemary range has been personally selected by our in-house horticultural team for performance, fragrance, and suitability across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT. Every plant is grown under premium nursery conditions and dispatched directly to your door — healthy, established, and ready to thrive.

Which rosemary variety is right for you?

We currently stock four tried-and-tested rosemary varieties, each with a distinct character and use case. Here is what our horticulturalists recommend:

Our most popular variety, and a firm favourite among Australian gardeners and landscapers. Tuscan Blue grows to around 1 metre tall with a strong upright habit, making it excellent for formal hedging, feature planting, and screening. Its deep blue-purple flowers and intensely aromatic foliage make it as ornamental as it is functional. If you want one rosemary for the garden and the kitchen, this is it.	Rosemary Tuscan Blue Rosmarinus officinalis 'Tuscan Blue' Best for: Hedging, feature planting, culinary use Height: To 1m Flower: Deep blue-purple
The classic, time-honoured rosemary that generations of Australian cooks and gardeners have relied on. Evergreen with pale blue flowers in spring and summer, Rosemary Officinalis grows to 1.2m high and 1m wide. It responds beautifully to regular harvesting — which keeps it bushy and full — and is the variety our team most often recommends for kitchen gardens, low hedges, and borders.	Rosemary Officinalis Rosmarinus officinalis Best for: Kitchen gardens, low hedges, borders Height: To 1.2m Flower: Pale blue
A spreading, semi-prostrate form prized for its ornamental qualities as much as its culinary usefulness. Rosemary Santa Barbara cascades naturally over retaining walls, garden edges, and raised beds, creating a soft, flowing effect. Its pale blue flowers attract bees and beneficial insects throughout spring and summer, making it a favourite in pollinator-friendly garden designs.	Rosemary Santa Barbara Rosmarinus officinalis 'Santa Barbara' Best for: Groundcover, cascading over walls, pollinator gardens Height: Low-spreading Flower: Pale blue

How to grow rosemary in Australia — expert tips

All rosemary varieties share the same fundamental requirements. Once understood, they are among the easiest plants in the garden to maintain.

•    Sun: Rosemary requires full sun — a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. In shaded positions, plants become leggy, produce less aromatic oil, and are more susceptible to fungal issues.
•    Soil: Free-draining soil is non-negotiable. Apply dolomite lime annually to maintain a slightly alkaline pH. In clay-heavy soils, raise the planting bed or add grit to improve drainage.
•    Watering: Water regularly during the first 8–12 weeks after planting. Once established, rosemary is highly drought-tolerant and requires minimal irrigation.
•    Fertilising: Apply a slow-release complete plant food in spring, along with a dressing of dolomite lime. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers, which promote soft, flavour-poor foliage.
•    Pruning: Trim lightly after flowering — remove no more than one-third of growth. Never cut back into bare, old, woody stems. Regular light pruning is far better than occasional heavy cutting.
•    Coastal gardens: Rosemary Officinalis and Tuscan Blue both handle salt-laden winds and coastal conditions particularly well.

Variety Comparison Table

Variety	Height	Growth Habit	Best Use	Flower Colour	Pot-Friendly
Tuscan Blue	To 1m	Upright	Hedging, feature, culinary	Deep blue-purple	Yes
Officinalis	To 1.2m	Upright, spreading	Kitchen garden, borders	Pale blue	Yes
Santa Barbara	Low-spreading	Semi-prostrate	Groundcover, cascading, pollinators	Pale blue	Yes
Blue Lagoon	Compact	Rounded, tidy	Pots, courtyards, small beds	Intense blue	Best for pots

Why buy rosemary from Online Plants?

•    30-day guarantee to grow — every plant is covered
•    Australia's first and largest online nursery — operating for over 20 years
•    Plants selected and dispatched by horticulturalists, not warehouse staff
•    Delivery to VIC, NSW, QLD, SA and ACT — metropolitan and regional areas
•    No minimum order — buy one plant or a hundred
•    Free garden design service — call 0428 110 584 or email store@onlineplants.com.au

Customer Review Snippets

★★★★★  "Tuscan Blue arrived in perfect condition and established within weeks. Now forming a beautiful hedge along our fence line in Melbourne's east."
— David R., VIC

★★★★★  "I've ordered rosemary three times from Online Plants. Every time the plants are healthy, well-rooted and packed carefully. The Officinalis is now a feature of our kitchen garden."
— Priya M., NSW

★★★★★  "Rosemary Santa Barbara is exactly what I needed for my retaining wall. It cascaded beautifully within two growing seasons. Highly recommend."
— James K., QLD

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best rosemary variety to grow in Australia?

For most Australian gardens, Rosemary Tuscan Blue is the best all-round choice. It handles Australia's warm, dry climate exceptionally well, responds well to pruning, and produces intensely fragrant foliage ideal for cooking. For smaller spaces and pots, Rosemary Blue Lagoon is our preferred compact option. For a groundcover or cascading effect, Rosemary Santa Barbara is outstanding.

Can I grow rosemary in a pot in Australia?

rosemary grows very well in containers, provided the pot is large enough (minimum 25–30cm diameter) and has excellent drainage. Rosemary Blue Lagoon is our most recommended variety for pots. Use a quality potting mix blended with coarse sand or perlite to maximise drainage, place in full sun, and allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

When is the best time to plant rosemary in Australia?

Autumn and early spring are the optimal planting times across most of Australia. In frost-prone areas (alpine Victoria, ACT, parts of NSW), wait until after the last frost in spring. In tropical and subtropical Queensland, autumn planting is strongly preferred as rosemary does not tolerate the humidity and heavy rainfall of summer well.

How often should I water rosemary in an Australian garden?

Water regularly for the first 8–12 weeks after planting — approximately two to three times per week during dry weather. Once established, rosemary is highly drought-tolerant. In a typical Australian summer, established plants in the ground may need only one deep watering per week. Overwatering is the most common cause of rosemary failure — always allow the soil to dry out between waterings.