April 11, 2021

Savour the aroma of Sea Rosemary

A silvery version of the rosemary you would be used to seeing, sea rosemary grows so easily and loves coastal soils. It is way tastier than your everyday rosemary and has the most delectable aroma too. Use it whenever you would use rosemary. This was one of the first native plants to be used by Europeans.

Commonly known as the Coastal Daisy Bush, or Wild Rosemary, the species occurs in southern coastal regions of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. The plant is found in the vegetation claiming sand dunes, and also appears on limestone and rocky slopes along the coastline.

Sea Rosemary | Warndu Australian Bush Tucker © Warndu Pty Ltd. Photographs by Luisa Brimble.

◎ Common Name: Sea Rosemary, Coastal Daisy Bush, Wild Rosemary

◎ Scientific or Latin Name: Olearia axillaris

◎ Comparison: Rosemary

◎ Seasonality: All year fresh

◎ Region: Widely Grown

◎ Taste Profile: Sea Rosemary is very similar to regular rosemary both taste and aroma, but the flavour is more intense.

◎ Types: Olearia axillaris is a shrub of the family Asteraceae, found in coastal areas of Australia.

Benefits

Sea Rosemary has a stronger, more distinct flavour than traditional rosemary.
It can be used as an insect repellent.

Traditional Aboriginal Food and Uses

Indigenous peoples used the plant as an insect repellant by rubbing the foliage over their skin to release the aroma from the leaves.

Western & Modern

Sea Rosemary is used in cooking, either as a spice like its namesake or as skewers using the twigs. This infuses the taste throughout the dish.

Another use for Olearia axillaris in the bush is as an insect repellent. Waving sprigs of wild rosemary is a sure way to shoo away flies. Crushing the leaves and rubbing them on your skin releases its beautiful smell which is repellent to insects.

Medicinal

There are no known medicinal uses for this plant.

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Warndu Products featuring Native Rosemary

New to the Warndu pantry is our Native Coastal Rosemary Oil, a delcious infusion of sea rosemary and olive oil.

Note: The term 'Bush Tucker' and 'Bush Food' are not Warndu's preferred terms for Australian Native Ingredients or Australian Botanicals.