Rosemary, Rosmarinus Officinalis, is a plant you probably associate with those uplifting aromas you smell in the kitchen while cooking a hearty meal. But uses of this warming, protective plant extend beyond contributing to a delicious dish. 

Rosemary supports the circulatory and digestive system, and has been found to give a boost to brainpower. Its leaves and essential oils have long been used in folk applications, and have been recorded in use dating as far back as Ancient Egypt and the early Greeks and Romans.   

A small evergreen plant of the mint family, this herb is a hardy perennial in warm climates. Rosemary prefers full sun and well drained soil. The word rosemary means “dew of the sea,” from the Latin origin ros meaning dew, and marinus “sea”. Native to the Mediterranean region, it grows along the ocean, where you can see miles of its purple-hued flowers and needle green beauty. 

Rosemary is rich in historical uses. In Ancient Egypt, it was used in funerary rites and to embalm the bodies of the dead.

In Ancient Athens and Rome, rosemary was a symbol of a soul’s immortality and used as protection.

Throughout the Roman empire, rosemary was adorned on pillars alongside images of protective household spirits.

Known to bring freshly oxygenated blood to the peripheral arteries in the head, throughout history it has been used to improve and strengthen memory.

“Tip of the tongue herb” is one of it’s nicknames, stemming from its usage in Ancient Greece, where students would wear rosemary garlands around their heads while studying. Christian monks brought the herb over the Alps into northern Europe, where its properties made it a popular staple in monastic gardens.

Rosemary  essential oil is one of the ingredients in some recipes of Thieves Oil, a formula developed by perfumers in 15th century France to protect themselves as they looted the houses of victims lost to the bubonic plague. 

Other benefits that have been attributed to  this lovely herb include improving hair health. An infusion made from its leaves tones the scalp, strengthening and encouraging hair growth.

An infusion of rosemary can also bring quick relief to a headache caused by overwork and nervous tension.

Rosemary is a plant that has the energy to heat and circulate the body. This terrific circulatory action supports the lymph and other lymphatic herbs, when coupled together.

It is also a great digestive herb, with bitter principles; by stimulating the production of bile and aiding the breakdown of fat, it benefits our entire digestive system.

Rosemary’s digestive support and warming effects to the body are just some of the reasons why it makes a perfect addition to our Sweet Fire Oxymel Syrup. We use organic rosemary and organic rose hips along with our staple Fire Cider ingredients for the recipe, including  garlic, ginger, horseradish and turmeric. To really bring out that sweet fire power, this oxymel syrup features over 60% raw wildflower honey from local apiaries. Try one of our deliciously potent Sweet Fire Oxymel Syrups today!

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References: 

Heckels, Fiona, et al. “Rosemary.” The Sensory Herbal Handbook: Connect with the Medicinal Power of Your Local Plants, Watkins, London, 2019, pp. 110–115. 

Lipp, Frank J., and Frank J Lipp. “Rosemary: Rosmarinus officinalis.” Healing Herbs, Barnes & Noble, New York, 2006, pp. 60–61. 

Chevallier, Andrew, and Andrew Chevallier. “Rosemary, Rosmarinus Officinalis.” Herbal Remedies Handbook More than 140 Plant Profiles; Remedies for over 50 Common Conditions, Dk Pub, New York, NY, 2018, pp. 190–190.