When to Plant Rosemary in Perth, Mediterranean Guide
Sow September to November. Right now in September you can sow.
Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Rosemary guide is written for the Mediterranean zone, which takes in Perth, Adelaide and Bunbury. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Iconic Mediterranean evergreen shrub with intensely aromatic needle-like leaves. Extremely drought-tolerant once established. HATES wet feet and humidity. Root rot kills more rosemary in Australia than anything else. Forms a woody shrub 1-1.5m tall. Long-lived (10+ years) in suitable conditions. Upright and prostrate forms available.
Planting Calendar for Mediterranean
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | D | D | D | - |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 15.9°C (optimal range: 15–20°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Perth), not a live sensor.
How to Grow Rosemary in Mediterranean Australia
When to Plant
Plant year-round. Perfect climate.
- Soil
- Well-drained, lean, slightly alkaline soil. Sandy or gravelly. Does NOT want rich soil.
- pH Range
- 6.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun. Minimum 6 hours. More = better.
- Spacing
- 100cm apart, 120cm between rows
- Watering
- Minimal once established. Water young plants weekly until rooted. Established plants need almost no supplementary water in temperate zones. OVERWATERING KILLS ROSEMARY.
Companion plants: Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Beans, Cabbage, Carrot
Avoid planting near: Mint, Basil (different water needs)
Mediterranean Growing Tips for Rosemary
Recommended Varieties
- Tuscan Blue
- Common
- Prostrate
- Miss Jessops
- Arp
Key Challenges
- Almost none, this IS rosemary's native climate
Pro Tips
- Perfect zone. Plant it and leave it alone.
- Makes stunning hedges and borders
- Lives 10-20+ years in good conditions
Harvesting Rosemary
When ready: Harvest from established plants (6+ months old). Evergreen, available year-round.
How to harvest: Snip 10-15cm stem tips. Never cut into old leafless wood, it won't regrow. Always cut above green growth.
Common Rosemary Pests in Mediterranean Zones
Organic prevention: Good air circulation.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join Garden BuddyCommon Questions About Rosemary
When do you plant rosemary in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): May to Jun
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Oct
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jul to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Nov
Does rosemary grow all year round in Perth?
No. In the Mediterranean zone the planting months are Sep to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Mediterranean zone, Perth is its reference city.