Rosemary, common name for an evergreen shrub, of the mint family. The rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region and is widely cultivated in dry soils for its aromatic, linear leaves, used for seasoning, which yield a volatile oil. Rosemary oil is used in medicine as a stimulant and as a constituent of liniments; it is also used in perfumes. During the spring the shrub produces clusters of small blue flowers. It is cultivated as a hedge plant along the Pacific coast of the United States. The name rosemary is also applied to several unrelated plants, including the marsh rosemary and the bog rosemary.