Might depend on the variety - 'Arp' and 'Hill Hardy' have a reputation for being the most cold tolerant. Winter survival is also dependent on soil conditions. A fast draining soil that is not overly wet in winter is best.

In MOST winters, yes. But it depends not the variety. Arp is hardier as stated above. Then, there were winters with multiple POLAR vortices and/or WET (even in Zone 7)! But all those years without an issue meant having to manage a LARGE HEDGE of rosemary encroaching on a walkway..., so, when I lost non-Arp varieties, I was not too broken up (just used them in a barbecue or chiminea and planted others in the Spring).

We LOVE rosemary, so it is always around regardless..., year round.

It depends on variety, and also on the specifics of your winter.

I'm zone 7, in north Georgia. Most years, my rosemary survives the winter. The past couple winters, we've had extended periods (72 hours or more) with temps below 28F, and my outdoor rosemary has died (along with many other of my outdoor herbs).

I always grow mine from cuttings, and I honestly don't know which variety I have. Some of mine traces back to a package of fresh "organic rosemary" from Kroger about 7 years ago. My other source for cuttings was a stand of rosemary growing by the side of the road about 10 miles from my home in north Georgia. That stand died off completely a few years ago, the same year my outdoor rosemary died off.

Just in case, I always root some cuttings or air layer off a few plants and pot them. I bring them inside under lights and/or in a south facing window. That way I have some of my rosemary stock protected, just in case the weather kills off what's growing outdoors.

Mine usually doesn't. Some varieties are more cold hardy than others, but none of them really like periods of below freezing temps, and factors like wind chill and low relative humidity can really do a number on the plants. I've had better luck by growing it in large terra cotta pots that I can move into the unheated garage for the winter, but even then the chances of survival are around 50/50.

This is my 7-yr. old Arp rosemary. Zone 7a, but zone 6 is a 30 min walk and zone 5 is a 30 min drive. We go below 0 deg F for a few days each winter, and have arctic air masses once or twice/winter. This plant survived one air mass that killed many fruit trees here.

The plant is on the SW corner of the house, and the property line fence is 8' from the side of the house, so the rosemary is very sheltered. We get 12" of precip/yr, but none in the summer--then I irrigate by drip line once/month. Heavy clay soil, barely amended. The downspout in the picture empties 5' on the other side of, and away from, the fence behind the plant.

I've had 3 other Arps, but not close to that location, and none survived past year three. I put this one's success down to shelter from the eaves of the house and the fence, and the lack of soggy winter soil, and maybe the evergreen marrubium in front of the Arp.

This my first post. I hope all goes well. Now for the photo.

Nice looking Arp you have there dwiggins! I am encouraged that you have managed to overwinter it for 7 years in Idaho. I do think I will put my potted Arp into the ground next spring but I don't have any place that is as sheltered as yours is. I will have to manufacture some type of shelter for the winter.

Arp did not make it through last winter for me. It was a very mild winter, but with one weekend at an extreme around -10F. No shelter.

That is a nice looking rosemary, nice sheltered spot.

When I went to Italy I saw them growing everywhere, they are basically weeds in their native climate.

I really love fresh rosemary, second only to basil. I wonder if I could get it to overwinter indoors. I don't have a garage.

LoneJack--thank you for the compliment. We are supposed to get down to 2 deg F in a couple of days. We'll see what happens.

Peter--I would love to see rosemary growing wild, and especially blooming. I've had a few blooms some years, but I have to look carefully to see them. And thank you for the nice comment.

This thread has inspired me to try a Hill Hardy. A local nursery offers them.

Rosemary blooms here in late winter or very early spring, so if it isn't winter hardy for you you are unlikely to see many flowers.

Floral--thanks for that info. I wouldn't have connected nonflowering and nonhardy.

I'm in zone 8, and we recently had loads of snow here in Canada! My rosemary plant was completely pelted with snow, and there was a layer of ice around the base of the plant, but it's still doing pretty well. For more info about the conditions of my plant, check the conversation "Rosemary plant" by me, Weird 13!