Not related to the culinary rosemary from the Mediterranean region, the
poorly-named Florida rosemary is a characteristic scrub
plant with many specialized adaptations to the harsh
scrub environment. The needle-like leaves conserve water
by reducing evaporation. The rounded dome-like shape,
typical of many scrub plants, protects from wind and
blowing sand damage. Rosemary plants release a chemical
into the soil that prevents the germination of their own
seeds. The seeds remain in the soil and do not germinate
until after the parent plant dies, thus insuring a sunny
spot for the new plant. Like many scrub plants, rosemary
is aromatic, the result of volatile oils in the foliage
that probably serve to protect the plant from being
eaten.
Some Florida scrubs are so
droughty with deep, loose sands that Florida rosemary is
the only shrub that can survive. These "Rosemary
balds" are among the most beautiful, and harshest,
natural landscapes in Florida.
Not related to the culinary rosemary from the Mediterranean region, the
poorly-named Florida rosemary is a characteristic scrub
plant with many specialized adaptations to the harsh
scrub environment. The needle-like leaves conserve water
by reducing evaporation. The rounded dome-like shape,
typical of many scrub plants, protects from wind and
blowing sand damage. Rosemary plants release a chemical
into the soil that prevents the germination of their own
seeds. The seeds remain in the soil and do not germinate
until after the parent plant dies, thus insuring a sunny
spot for the new plant. Like many scrub plants, rosemary
is aromatic, the result of volatile oils in the foliage
that probably serve to protect the plant from being
eaten. 
Some Florida scrubs are so
droughty with deep, loose sands that Florida rosemary is
the only shrub that can survive. These "Rosemary
balds" are among the most beautiful, and harshest,
natural landscapes in Florida.
