Rosemary

Identifying Rosemary: This perennial evergreen herb is native to the Mediterranean region including France, Spain, Portugal, Tunisia, and Morocco. It thrives in coastal areas – hence its name Rosemarinus or \"dew of the sea.\" Some varieties are small, creeping plants growing under a foot tall while others are erect bushes growing to six feet tall. Needle-like leaves are oriented opposite each other along the stem and are shiny on top and silvery below. Tiny flowers are less than ½-inch and can be purple, blue, pink, or white. They bloom in March through July depending on the climate. Rosemary is in the mint or lamiaceae family, which includes other important medicinal herbs like mint, sage, basil, thyme, marjoram, and lavender.

Growing Rosemary: Rosemary prefers warm dry weather with full sun and well-drained soil. It can be challenging to grow upright bushy varieties in cold Northern areas. The ‘Arp’ variety is frost hearty, and shorter creeping rosemary plants are better equipped for the cold. Ask your local nursery for recommendations. You can also grow rosemary in a pot and bring it inside during cold months. Make sure not to overwater rosemary, but if you are growing it inside a dry house, you may want to spritz the plant with water occasionally.

References:

(http://wildfoodsandmedicines.com/rosemary/)

• Damian, Peter and Kate. Aromatherapy, Scent and Psyche. Rochester, Healing Arts Press, 1995.

• Mojay, Gabriel. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. Rochester, Healing Arts Press. 1997.

• McIntyre, Anne. The Complete Floral Healer. New York, Sterling. 2002.

• Foster, Stephen. Herbal Renaissance. Salt Lake, Gibbs Smith Publisher. 1993

• Fischer-Rizzi, Suzanne. Complete Aromatherapy Handbook. New York, Sterling. 1990

• Cheung S, Tai J. \"Anti-proliferative and antioxidant properties of rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis.\" Oncology Reports. 2007 Jun;17(6):1525-31. Accessed October 16th 2013.

• Medical News Today. What are the Health Benefits of Rosemary.  May 4th 2015.

• Schnaubelt, Kurt. The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils. Rochester, Healing Arts Press. 2011.

• Weiss, Rudolf. Herbal Medicine. England, Beaconsfield Publishers. 1998

How to Make a Rosemary Tincture:

1. Harvest both the leaves and flowers of the rosemary plant.

2. Place them in a jar, and cover with 80-proof alcohol, like vodka, gun or rum.

3. Let the jar sit for 6 weeks, out of the sunlight.

4. Strain the mixture and transfer to a tincture bottle, or proceed to make a double-strength infusion.

Rejuvenating Rosemary Toner:

This toner stimulates circulation and helps to tighten swollen arteries and veins. Try spraying it over spider veins, varicosities, and cold skin 8with poor circulation.

• Rosemary herb – recently dried or fresh and finely chopped

• Yarrow flower – recently dried or fresh

• Rose petal – recently dried or fresh and finely chopped

• Witch hazel extract

Place equal parts of rosemary, yarrow and rose in a glass jar and cover with an alcohol based witch hazel extract. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let sit for at least 2 weeks. Strain with muslin cloth (squeeze it out) and bottle in spray bottles. This can also be used as a skin toner. For extra circulatory support add 4 drops of rosemary essential oil per ounce of extract. Shake before spraying. You can substitute witch hazel extract for vinegar or water combined with 20% alcohol.

Rosemary Essential Oil:

Rosemary is one of the most widely used essential oils in the world. It takes about 75 pounds of rosemary in flower to steam distill 1 pound of essential oil. In aromatherapy, it is utilized to increase circulation, stimulate skin regeneration, improve memory, ease sore muscles, and arthritis, open the lungs, ease spasms, and fight infection. It also repels insects including mosquitoes. For massage oil and salve, add about 1-4 drops of essential oil per ounce. Add 3-5 drops to the bath and swirl it around before getting in. For an uplifting aromatherapy spritzer, add about 15 drops of essential oil per ounce of distilled water.