Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is an evergreen Mediterranean sub-shrub that loves sun, warmth and poor, free-draining, stony or sandy soil; waterlogged roots and heavy clay harm it far more than drought. Most varieties do not reliably survive Central European winters outdoors, as temperatures below about −10 °C, especially combined with wet soil, kill them. It is therefore usually grown in a pot with gritty compost, placed outside after mid-May and brought into a bright, cool, frost-free room at 5–10 °C in October. In mild areas, hardier varieties such as 'Arp' can stay outside against a south-facing wall with a mulch of leaves or conifer branches. Water sparingly: let the compost dry out between waterings, but never let the rootball dry out completely in winter. Rosemary is slow and uneven from seed, so buy plants or root 10 cm cuttings in summer. Harvest sprigs as needed all year, and trim lightly after flowering to keep the plant compact, never cutting into bare old wood.