How to Propagate Rosemary Cuttings in Water
Despite not being a green thumb I have successfully learned to propagate rosemary cuttings in water! I typically kill plants, however, over the years I have successfully grown rosemary despite myself.
Turns out rosemary is one of the best starter plants to learn the art of gardening. It is an independent plant that needs little from people. I don't even water it! I became so bold in my rosemary abilities, that this spring I learned how to make more rosemary all on my own.
In this post we will go over step-by-step instructions about how propagate rosemary, but also rosemary pregnancy/postpartum information!
On This Page
4 minute read
↓Gardening During Pregnancy
↓Rosemary During Pregnancy
↓Rosemary During Postpartum
↓Uses for Rosemary at Home
↓Instructions on How to Propagate Rosemary
Gardening During Pregnancy
Gardening during pregnancy has many benefits. Fresh air, easy exercise, sunlight and connecting with nature and new life are important activities for a pregnant woman. Not only is it a great activity, you'll reap the benefits in your home. Rosemary is one of those plants that will give you a quick win. Try it and see!
Rosemary During Pregnancy
*Rosemary Essential Oil is not safe during pregnancy but the herb, used in moderation, it is perfectly safe. If you are in your first trimester, having a threatened miscarriage or are experiencing pre-term labor symptoms, err on the side of caution and limit the culinary use of rosemary. (If you're looking for a tea drink this pregnancy tea instead.)
Rosemary During Postpartum
Rosemary is an antiseptic, promotes healing, and would be a wonderful and fragrant addition to a postpartum herbal sitz bath or even to help heal an umbilical cord stump.
Uses for Rosemary at Home
Rosemary is a prolific herb that can be used for a variety of things. Here are some ways I use rosemary around my home.
- The main thing I use my rosemary for is to bake a whole chicken. It's delicious. (That link <== right there? Best. Chicken. Recipe. Ever.)
- When I make bone broth, I use rosemary as well. It smells delicious when its cooking!
- I also take cuttings and hang them upside down throughout my house. It smells great, and keeps bugs away.
- Another idea is to place a sprig of rosemary in a bottle of olive oil to make rosemary infused oil. It's so delicious! (Be sure to not let the rosemary bob above the oil or that piece will turn moldy. Gross.)
- I think rosemary is so awesome that it should replace most ornamental shrubs. Why have plants that only look pretty? They should be functional as well.
Instructions on How to Propagate Rosemary
Once you have an established rosemary plant, a really neat thing you can do with it is take a cutting and make more rosemary plants. It's super simple to learn how to propagate rosemary from cuttings. If I can do it, you can too!
I live in North Florida and learned how to propagate rosemary in March and April. The weather is in the 50s at night in the 70s during the day. This whole process only took about a month.
Step 1
Cut a piece of rosemary about 6-8 inches long that looks like it is newer growth. Brown, stick like stalks won't do. Look for green and purple stalks.
Here are beautiful, fresh, new rosemary stalks that are purple.
Step 2
With your fingernails, strip away the outside of the lower half of the stalk.
Step 3
- Place stripped stalks in water.
- Put in a mason jar on a windowsill in a common area like a kitchen sink.
- Make sure the water level is low enough that the rosemary leaves won't be sitting in the water.
Step 4
- Grow roots and be patient.
- Replace the water every few days.
- Occasionally rise the stalks in running water when it seems like weird things are starting to grow on the stalks.
The photo below was taken about a week and a half after the one above. The whole process took around one month.
Isn't it amazing to see where the roots emerged? For some reason I had it in my head that the roots would come from the bottom of the stalk, but they didn't. They came from the sides!
Step 5
- Plant rosemary in healthy, well drained soil.
- Keep an eye on it for that first month and water it when necessary. Rosemary doesn't like a lot of water, so it's not necessary to keep the soil damp at all times.
- Once the roots have secured themselves, you can let the plant be more independent.
I plan on giving these growing cuttings to some friends, which is a sweet gift idea!
Have you tried it?
Have you tried this method of propagating rosemary in a cup of water? Leave a comment and let me know about your experience!
Hi Lindsey,
What is the contraindication for Rosemary oil during pregnancy? I think I have heard that it is a no-no before, but I do have it in my nasal rinse that is my life saver from chronic sinus infections (that get worse when pregnant). I try to only use it when I'm really in need, but I haven't been able to taste or smell in a few days and I'm ready to use it again. I'm 29 weeks FWIW. Thanks!
Rosemary essential oil? It's a no go during pregnancy. Oil of Rosemary is way less potent and probably fine in moderation. I'm not a health practitioner so check with your doctor (not that they'd know lol) if you're not sure.
This is awesome! I plucked a free sprigs from my neighbor and hope these bad boys grow!
Not pregnant, but loved the information on the plant itself. I’m going to try the propagation today. Thanks. I would love to know if I can grow it in pots too. Thanks.
Mag Snow.
Hi! Thanks for this awesome article! I have a friend with a rosemary bush that I plan to swipe a few springs from to try this 🙂 in the last step, do you plant the springs outside in the ground or in a. Pot to. Keep. Inside? Also, how do you know when you’ve watered too much or not enough?
I tend to kill plants, so I’m excited to try this.
Thanks!
Taylor
The best way to know if rosemary needs water is to put your finger into the dirt. If the top inches feels dry, it's time to water. Make sure it's able to drain, as rosemary doesn't like sitting in water.
When I started the rosemary sprigs in water years ago, it is a huge bush in the garden. I'm supplying the neighbors with rosemary, thanks!
I do prefer the starting in water, much easier to tell that the rooting is taking place.
I live in WI and we have very cold winters. I have two rosemary plants that I put outside in the spring/summer and take them in the house for the late fall and winter. I have been doing this for years with no problems and the plants have grown into a nice size.
Last night I had a Racoon visit. I don't know if it sat on the plant or was digging in the soil but the pots were knocked over and the Rosemary branches broke off. I have a live trap and was able to catch it and it is now relocated.
Anyway, I am thankful to know that I can start new plants in water with the broke off branches. I pray that I am successful .
Thank you for the great article.
Charlene
You're welcome!
I've been wondering if there's any difference in the plants rosemary plants that you cook with they have longer needles and the other rosemary plants that you see in yards
There is more than one kind of rosemary. So, you're right! I've seen a more flat leaf, and a rounder leaf. But I think you can use it all for in the kitchen cooking.
Do the roots appear in the portion where the stem is submerged or where it is just above the water?
Hmmm... I can't remember. Have you tried it yet?
Can you have a rosemary plant growing indoors? If so, what kind of light does it like?
Thank you!
Lynn
I made rosemary tea- i cut up a few leaves and added it to black leaf tea. I have never had this amount of energy and alertness after coffee. I have to recommend it to everyone 😛
@Carmen, sounds good! I will try this. I have made my own herbal tea this year with a mix of herbs but I haven’t tried any rosemary yet— even though I have a huge plant, indoors until warm weather.
I have an Aerogarden and rooted a couple of sprigs of rosemary. My sprigs are over eight inches wide and six inches tall. Did I wait to long to pot them?
Thanks! I believe I have killed more plants than you. The last rosemary which came with our house 20+ years ago died, and I missed it a lot. Your instruction is so clear.
I bought some sprigs of rosemary at the store to use in a recipe and stuck what was left in water to keep it fresh. To my surprise it rooted. I planted it in my yard and it grew and grew. For 10 years it grew and was huge. I loved the smell of it and to my surprise it bloomed (I didn't know they did that). It was happy and healthy until 3 years ago we had a freeze like never before. It was below -0° for 10 days and I lost every plant I had, including Rosemary. It was like losing a friend. Anyway I bought more cut Rosemary at the store and have it in water to root and plan to put it in the same place beside my Koi pond (lost the fish also). My point is that it survived for 10 years outside and stayed green all year round, but this time I'm going to plant some in a container too just in case it ever needs rescuing.