African Wild Rosemary – 20 Seeds

African Wild Rosemary (Eriocephalus africanus L.) is a beautiful plant that has both culinary and medicinal uses.

Common Names: English:Wild Rosemary. Afrikaans: Wilderoosmaryn; Kapokbos.

The fine, grey, aromatic foliage, the snow white flowers and the fluffy cotton wool seeds ensure that it has year long appeal, apart from which is can withstand the most adverse conditions of weather, soil and habitat. African Wild Rosemary can be pruned to shape, makes a neat border hedge and can be used to soften rock and succulent gardens. The fluffy, white seeds that develop after flowering cover the bush, giving rise to the Afrikaans common name Kapokbos, meaning ‘snow bush’. The foliage is variable, being more succulent in the face of sea breezes and finer in drier inland habitats.

African Wild Rosemary Medicinal Benefits

• Medicinally, Eriocephalus is known as an anti-spasmodic and was traditionally used as a diuretic, a diaphoretic, as well as treatment for coughs, colds and stomach ailments, to stimulate and improve circulation in the body, relax muscles, improve memory and sooth migraines.
• Decoctions, infusions and brandy tinctures were used.

Wild Rosemary Culinary Uses

• Wild rosemary  can  be used the same way as regular rosemary in cooking and works well with meat or in stews.
• As it has quite a strong flavour, so use it sparingly.

Growing African Wild Rosemary

Indoor Sowing: Late Winter and Spring.

Direct Sowing: Spring and Autumn.

• This is a water wise, semi-hardy shrub. It likes full sun and well drained soil and grows up to 1m tall.
• Sow the seeds in a tray of well-draining, moist seed compost.
• Cover lightly with vermiculite or seed compost and keep at 10-15°C.
• Germination takes about 1 month or longer.
• Pot on seedlings when they are big enough to handle and transplant into the garden in a sunny position, after the last frost.
• Wild Rosemary will grow in most garden soils. Add some compost when planting and mulch to retain moisture.
• Water when the soil is almost dry under the mulch, until the plant has settled, then reduce the amount of extra watering.
• Prune lightly to keep in shape.
• Grows well in containers.