Flowering – Page 3 – We Grow Rosemary

Rosemary produces beautiful flowers throughout the spring and summer but what actually happens when rosemary is flowering? It turns out that several things happen when rosemary flowers which is what we will explore in this article. I made a list of the things that happen to give you a simple but complete overview. Seeds Are Starting To Form One of the primary things that happens when rosemary is flowering is that it begins developing its seeds. That's what you can see in the photo above. I did my best to snap a photo where you could see seeds at different stages while they were still developing inside the flowers. They start bright green and turn dark brown over time as they mature. Once they are fully dark brown and dry, they can be collected and used. Flowering happens as a natural part of rosemary's lifecycle which is complete once the plant produces and finishes developing its seeds. Once the plant finishes the seed production stage, it will drop the flowers and seeds and resume growing and producing new foliage. Higher Numbers of Bees and Other Pollinators Pollinating insects such as bees are extremely useful for us gardeners as they pollinate our flowers, enabling our plants to produce fruit and seeds, thereby making our garden much more productive as a whole. Rosemary flowers are exceptionally good at attracting pollinating insects, so one of the clearest things you will see when your rosemary is flowering is an increased number of these insects in your garden. The fact that rosemary flowers are so effective when it comes to attracting bees and other pollinators is one of the most important advantages of letting the plant flower in my opinion. Slowed Growth of New and Existing Foliage When rosemary is flowering, most of its energy is diverted towards the production of flowers and seeds. This means that less energy is available for producing and growing existing and new foliage. The plant will still grow its existing foliage and produce new foliage when it is flowering but it grows much slower as a whole when it is flowering than when it isn't. This will continue for as long as the plant is flowering. Once it finishes flowering, it will resume growing new and existing foliage since more energy is available for that once again. Even though the plant isn't growing at nearly the same rate as before, you can still harvest and use it. Even the flowers are edible. They taste similar to the leaves although usually milder in my experience. I like to use them as a tasty and colorful garnish sometimes. Just be careful not to cut too much foliage at the same time when the plant is flowering as it will take longer for it to recover since it uses most of its energy on flowering. If you want to learn more about this, check out another one of my articles where I cover some important things you should know before harvesting flowering rosemary. Changes in Flavor Since plants behave and use their energy differently when they are flowering compared to when they are not, their taste can change. That is especially true with many of the flavorful herbs we all love to grow. However, in my experience, the flavor of rosemary doesn't change nearly as dramatically (if at all) as it does with many other herbs when it flowers. You might be able to tell the difference but at least for me, it isn't much so I just keep using the foliage as I would otherwise. If you mind this potential change in flavor, you have the option of preventing the plant from flowering. Before you do that though, I recommend reading another article I wrote specifically about the advantages of letting rosemary flower compared to preventing it because flavor isn't the only factor to consider. Chance of Self-Seeding As rosemary flowers and the seeds mature, it will eventually drop its seeds. If the conditions are right, the seeds can germinate and grow as new plants. This can only happen in areas with extremely mild winters, ideally with no frost at all, since the seedlings can be fragile and usually die from any frost (assuming they even germinate in the first place). Self-seeding can be a great way to get more rosemary in your garden for free, although it can also be a problem depending on your preferences since you have no control over where the seeds end up. Unless you remove them in time that is. But again, you don't have to worry about your rosemary self-seeding unless you live in an area that never gets frost. Increased Aesthetic Appeal Rosemary produces beautiful white, pink, or blueish flowers throughout the spring and summer. They can serve as a nice and colorful addition to your garden that both you and the insects get to enjoy. Of course, aesthetic appeal depends on personal preference so you might not enjoy the visual aspect of flowering rosemary as much as I do or you might enjoy it even more. If you don't enjoy it and prefer your rosemary to only be green, you always have the option to remove the flowers. I have another article where I explain the best way to remove rosemary flowers which you should read if that's the case. Learn more about rosemary flowering If you want to learn more about why rosemary is flowering, what happens to the plant, what you should do when your rosemary is flowering, and much more, head over to my complete guide to rosemary flowering where I cover absolutely everything about the topic.