best rosemary plant for cooking
Looking for the best rosemary plant for cooking? You’re not alone. Rosemary is a beloved culinary herb in New Zealand kitchens, perfect for roasted meats, potatoes, stews, and even freshly baked bread. But with so many rosemary varieties available, it can be tricky to choose the most flavourful and reliable option for your home garden. At our plant nursery, we’re passionate about helping you find the rosemary plant that will thrive in your climate and deliver rich, aromatic leaves for culinary use all year round. Below, we’ll highlight top rosemary selections, their culinary strengths, and tips for growing the best rosemary plant for cooking in your backyard or container garden.
Rosmarinus 'Blue Lagoon'
Rosmarinus ‘Blue Lagoon’ is a hardy, evergreen shrub prized for its aromatic foliage and vibrant deep blue flowers. Blooming from late winter through spring, it attracts bees and other pollinators while providing fresh rosemary for cooking. Its compact, mounding form makes it ideal for garden borders, pots, or coastal planting. Drought-tolerant and low maintenance once established, ‘Blue Lagoon’ thrives in New Zealand gardens, adding colour, fragrance, and year-round interest to both ornamental and edible landscapes.
From $21.53
Rosmarinus 'Chef's Choice' (Culinary Rosemary)
'Chef's Choice' Rosemary is a popular culinary variety that is widely used for cooking. It features petite, blue flowers that are borne in spring amidst the aromatic foliage. It grows with an erect and rounded growth habit to about 60 cm tall and 1 m wide. 'Chef's Choice' Rosemary is a versatile plant that is ideal for adding to a mixed planting, mass planting as a groundcover, maintaining in a container, or including in the herb garden. It is often used in Mediterranean and cottage gardens, and is the preferred Rosemary among many chefs.
