Rosemary

Fragrant wild rosemary scrub covers the dry mountains of central Tunisia – the country is a major exporter of rosemary oil.

An evergreen, aromatic shrub growing to 1.5 m, with narrow, needle-like leaves that are dark green above and whitish underneath. From winter to spring it bears small, pale blue flowers eagerly visited by bees. It grows wild in dry scrub on limestone slopes, forming Mediterranean garrigue together with other shrubs. It is a prized herb, a medicinal plant and a source of essential oil used in cosmetics and perfumery.

Significance in the country

In Tunisia rosemary is harvested from wild stands across large mountain areas and distilled into essential oil, sold mainly to Europe. Rosemary honey from the Kasserine and Siliana area is considered one of the best in the country.

Where it grows

Wild on the dry limestone slopes of the mountains of central Tunisia – in the Tunisian Dorsal, around Kasserine, Siliana, Le Kef, Zaghouan, Sidi Bouzid and Kairouan.

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