Origin
Mediterranean coast

Etymology
From the Latin ros marinus, meaning "sea dew" since it is native to the coast and subject to saltwater mists.

In its wild state, rosemary grows alongside lavender, thyme and sage. It is associated with some marvelous stories. According to one of them, the Virgin Mary, having left Egypt, stopped to rest in a rocky place where little shrubs covered with white flowers were growing. She spread out her cloak to lay the child Jesus down, and when she picked him up again, the flowers had turned blue. It is the herb of love, as well as being (as Ophelia says in Hamlet) "for remembrance." It is also used as a perfuming ingredient in Eau de Cologne.