Salvia rosmarinus 'Barbeque' (Rosemary)

Barbeque Rosemary earns its name from those straight, stiff stems, which grow long and strong enough to use directly as barbecue skewers when threading shrimp, vegetables, or small cuts of meat. The fragrance released when the skewers hit the grill is extraordinary. Beyond the kitchen novelty, this is a genuinely excellent culinary rosemary with intensely aromatic needle-like leaves on upright stems that can reach 6 feet tall, making it one of the more dramatic rosemary cultivars available.

It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, tolerating drought once established and shrugging off the kind of neglect that would trouble most herbs. Along the Oregon coast, the mild maritime winters keep rosemary evergreen year-round, so this becomes a permanent, productive herb garden fixture rather than something you replant each season. Light blue flowers appear along the stems and are loved by pollinators.

In addition to its culinary value, Barbeque Rosemary works well as a tall accent in a Mediterranean-style planting, a fragrant informal hedge, or a statement plant in a large container on a sunny patio. Harvest regularly to keep growth bushy and productive, and use fresh or dried in any recipe where rosemary is called for.