Salvia Rosmarinus better known by its common name, rosemary, is a flowering herb native to the Mediterranean countries although it can now be found all over the world. Rosemary is an aromantic, evergreen herb with thin, green leaves and a woody stem which although native to warmer climates, can withstand lower winter temperatures. Rosemary grows well in drier soils making it more resistant to drought and it also grows well in flowering pots.

Rosemary has been used in various ways since ancient times, from its use in embalming Egyptian royals to becoming a common fixture in herb gardens all over Europe for its medicinal and culinary purposes. While rosemary makes a beautiful ornamental shrub, it can serve various other purposes.

1. Perfume: Rosemary makes a fragrant addition to various perfumes and fragrances and is also widely used in household incenses, soaps and shampoos.

• Mosquito repellent: In the warmer and more humid climates, rosemary is grown as a natural mosquito repellent. Its fragrant leaves repel mosquitoes and even burning its dried leaves is enough to drive them away.

• Food preservatives: Rosemary extracts such as carnosic acid and carnosol are used as natural, antioxidant preservatives in the food industry.

• Hair growth booster: In recent years, the cosmetics industry has come to realise the benefits of rosemary in boosting hair growth and preventing hair loss. A simple remedy to thicken hair involves boiling a few sprigs of rosemary in water for twenty minutes, adding the rosemary infused water to a spray bottle and spraying it over the hair daily.

• Culinary purposes: Rosemary leaves in either fresh or dry form are a great addition to salads, soup and stews. It is an especially good good addition in the preparation of beef, goat, mutton or pork either as addition to a marinade or using its woody stems as a fragrant addition to smoking or barbeque fuel.

• Health benefits: Rosemary has several health benefits both as a herbal tea and as an addition to food. Rosemary tea is said to boost memory in addition to aiding in common stomach issues including ulcers, diarrhoea, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome. Rosemary is also a natural antioxidant and ati inflammatory aiding in chronic pain management.

Despite it various benefits, rosemary is not recommended for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers due to the lack of sufficient research on how it could affect them.