Rosemary Verbenon

Rosemary officinalis Verbenon

Rosmarinus officinalis

(Salvia rosmarinus)

Labiatae family (lamiaceae)

Rosemary is an aromatic evergreen shrub that happily grows all over its (primarily Mediterranean) range with very little water or maintenance required. It’s very fragrant, has pointed leaves and white, blue, pink or purple flowers. Rosemary is related to many other medicinal and culinary herbs from the same family. Rosemary comes from the latin ros marinus, meaning “dew of the sea.” It happily grows wild throughout its entire range. 

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean but can grow in a wide variety of climates. Special cultivars can withstand extreme cold down to -20C. Rosemary is drought resistant too, and flourishes in places like California. It can be an upright bush, or climbing. It flowers in both spring and summer in temperate climates but can blossom almost continuously in the heat. It’s a really hardy plant that, in the right setting, will give a lot of scent and beauty with very little maintenance. Sometimes it just flowers for the heck of it. 

Rosemary in general finds much use in perfumery in citrus colognes, lavender waters, fougères, pine needle fragrances, frankincense, all spices, and Oriential fragrances, in colognes, room deodorants, household sprays, insecticides, etc. Rosemary oil blends well with lavandin, lavender, citronella, thyme, pine needle, labdanum, frankincense, spice oils, petigrain, cedars, etc.

ROSEMARY’S CHARM

by my garden gate

clouds of sea-colored flowers

they incense fingers

----Haiku Poetry

 Arctander says

Rosemary oil is a pale yellow or almost colorless, mobile liquid of strong, fresh, woody-herbaceous, somewhat minty-forest-like odor. The “high” fresh notes vanish quickly, yielding to a clean, woody-balsamic bodynote which tones out ins a dry-herbaceous, but very pleasant and tenacious, bitter-sweet note. There is considerable variation between the different kinds of rosemary oil.

Battaglia says

Verbenon chemotype

Grown harvested and distilled in Corsica from organically grown plants. 

The rosemary verbenon chemotype is best known for skin care and the liver. He quotes Mailhebiau as saying this is the chemotype "for people who are very tired, with an overloaded liver, fetid breath, and a gray complexion". He also recommends it for respiratory aliments for its mucolytic properties. Mailhebiau gives a character profile for each rosemary and describes the verbenone chemotype as a superhman being whose stability, strengh andequilibrium have no equal in love, justice and light.