Promising Plants Profiles

Rosmarinus officinalis 'Bonnie Jean'

Genus: Rosmarinus
Specific Epithet: officinalis
Cultivar Name: 'Bonnie Jean'
Common Name: Bonnie Jean rosemary
Family: Lamiaceae

Flower Color: bluish-purple
Form: shrub
Hardiness Zone: 7-10
Height: 2'
Width: 4'
Soil: well-drained soil
Sun: full sun

Uses: ornamental, culinary, cosmetic, craft
Parts Used: leaves, flowers

"I have grown several creeping or prostrate cultivars of rosemary and 'Bonnie Jean' rates very high on my list. I was given this plant several years ago at an herb nursery in northern Washington. Its history is rather sketchy, but I learned this from my donor:

The breeder is John Balf, originally of the Tansy Farm and Brackenstone Herbs. His growing area was in Agassiz, British Columbia, near Harrison Hot Springs. John shared with me many unique herbs that he had collected in his herbal travels. This hybrid was one that he came up with, I believe, after he moved out to Nelson, B.C., in the Kootenay Mountains, where he had a girlfriend for a time named none other than...Bonnie Jean!

One of the parents of this hybrid is Rosmarinus 'Collingwood Ingram.' The other is unknown. After growing this cultivar for several years, my specimen plant is now 24 inches high and about 48 inches wide. It is grown in a raised brick flower box situated next to the foundation of my house. It receives full sun exposure and is planted in quick-draining amended soil. The entire habit of growth is a very dense, fully foliaged shrub with rarely a sprig more than 5-6 inches in length that does not begin to twist and weave. It is dark green in color with each leaf a maximum of ½ inch long. The flowers are showy and are a dark bluish-purple color with prominent venation. The blooming period is late fall into early winter. As for cold hardiness—remember it is adjacent to my Zone 8 house. Why I like this particular cultivar is that it is a vigorous grower with no apparent winter dieback or tip burn as other creeping rosemaries are prone to do in my area. Hardy in Zones 7-10." – Andrew Van Hevelingen, Promising Plants Presentation, 2006

Plant Sources: Papa Geno's Herb Farm/Prairie Home Perennials - Martell, NE

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