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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, December 7, 2007

HAWAI'I'S GARDENS
Rosemary, herb of remembrance

By Duane Choy

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Rosemary's tiny flowers come in a variety of colors, although this one may be the most commonly seen.

Photo courtesy Duane Choy

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On this anniversary of the tragedy Franklin D. Roosevelt called "a date which will live in infamy," we remember the fallen military and civilians, killed and wounded at Pearl Harbor.

To complement the memorial spirit, this column is about rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), which historically has been recognized as a symbol of remembrance. The herb is also representative of love and friendship, among other things.

Historically, rosemary was often distributed at funerals to mourners, who tossed the fresh sprigs into the grave as a gesture that the life of the departed would not be forgotten. In modern times, people around the world wear a sprig of rosemary to commemorate those who have died in wars.

Rosemary is a perennial, shrubby, woody herb with aromatic, evergreen, needle-like leaves. Native to the Mediterranean region, it is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Flowers vary in color.

The herb also had a reputation for strengthening the memory. In ancient Greece, students wore rosemary garlands while studying for exams. And rosemary was used as an emblem of fidelity to lovers. At weddings, the sprigs, after first being dipped into scented water, were entwined in the wreath worn by the bride and also woven into bridal bouquets.

Medicinally, rosemary is used as a digestive tonic, astringent or circulatory and nervine stimulant. The herb contains essential oils (borneol, camphor, cineole, linalol, verbenol), tannins, flavonoids (apigenin, diosmin, luteolin), rosemarinic acid, rosmaricine, heterosides, triterpene and resin. The oil is used externally to stimulate blood circulation and is added to liniments as a fragrant stimulant. It was an old custom to burn rosemary in sickrooms, and during World War II, in French hospitals, it was burned with juniper berries to purify the air and prevent infection. In the Middle Ages, people would place sprigs of rosemary under their pillows to ward off demons and prevent nightmares.

Of course, our primary use of rosemary is with food.

Throughout history, several cultures have used the herb to preserve meat. A study done in 1987 by Rutgers University discovered that rosemary had preservative qualities safer and more powerful than the common food additives BHA and BHT.

Fresh and dried rosemary leaves are an essential spice for cooking and garnishing in household kitchens and restaurants. Rosemary has a woodsy, somewhat piny flavor, mint-like, but sweeter, with a ginger finish. The savor complements oily foods. A tisane or infusion is extensively used in cooking. When burned, rosemary gives off a distinct mustard scent also used to flavor foods during barbecuing. Dried rosemary is extremely high in iron, calcium and vitamin B6.

Rosemary can be propagated by seeds, cuttings or layering, and by root division. It grows best with a light, sandy, rather dry soil, in a sunny, sheltered location. It is an attractive ornamental for landscaping, and tolerates reflective heat and some degree of drought. It is extremely pest-resistant. The herb is not a heavy feeder. If grown in pots, it is best kept trimmed to prevent it from becoming straggly.

Rosemary is excellent for topiary, and easily pruned for shaping. Numerous upright to trailing types have been developed for visual and textural variety.