shrub
Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'
Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue' is a fast-growing evergreen shrub for gardens in zones 8–11. It grows 4–6 ft tall and 2–4 ft wide, so plant it 2.5 ft apart. Give it full sun and little water once established. It flowers blue in January to April. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Needs sharp drainage; dies in wet or heavy soil.
- Mature size
- 4–6 ft tall × 2–4 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Jan–Apr · blue
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- low water, cottage, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Rosemary is listed non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $20–$35 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
- Pruning
- Trim lightly after flowering; do not cut into bare wood.
Sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Texas A&M AgriLife deer-resistant landscape plant lists; state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, Southwest
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, California (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun'Gaillardia × grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'perennial · zones 3–10
- Lily of the NileAgapanthus africanusperennial · zones 9–10
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'perennial · zones 7–10
- Autumn sageSalvia greggiishrub · zones 7–11
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
- Indian hawthornRhaphiolepis indicazones 8–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Texas sage (Texas ranger)Leucophyllum frutescenszones 8–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Chinese fringe flower 'Purple Diamond'Loropetalum chinense 'Shang-hi'zones 7–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Apache plumeFallugia paradoxazones 4–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants