Taste not even close. Depending on your local conditions the long leafed lavenders such as Provance and Grosso may be perennial in your area. Taste is different but somewhat similar. Each year I buy rosemary and treat as an annual. If I have a receipt that needs fresh herbs I can find most at my grocery.

I stated local conditions before because zone's are only a temperature range and has little to do with a plants ability to live in your garden. This year I am trying to keep alive a rosemary using the white protectant fabric. Our temps got to zero and I added two bed sheets wrapped arround the plant. When it was still alive, but some of the leaves are now bronze, I wrapped with double layer of the white stuff. We will have to see what happens.

On plants like rosemary that are not perennial in an area I suggest that you purchase the cheapest plant at the start of the season and experiment with the growing conditions in your garden. I know of a lower growing(8 inch) rosemary behind a store in a neighboring community that has been there at least six years that I am aware of that was still alive last year. Previous owner would not allow cuttings or I would have tried. I was bad and took a pinch of the plant to try before I was aware that you should use older rosemary wood for cuttings.

Chalk and cheese! No similarity in flavour at all.

Why not try a low-growing variety of rosemary? - there's one which is a groundcover. If you grew it in a hanging basket, you could bring it inside in winter. Rosemary dries quite well, so it would provide enough herb to last all year round.

I was skeptical when someone said that winter savory could be substituted for rosemary. Now I know better.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Just a suggestion for anyone wanting to know about how different common herbs smell is to go to your grocery store and look. Many stores have small jars of dried herbs or $0.89 or so. Purchase any of the ones you have been thinking about growing and smell. You can then use in various soups and any other dish that you think would be complimented. By the time spring comes you will have a better idea of your favorites. Start with them in your garden then add other things. Just be aware that some herbs you can not buy at the grocery and some will smell and taste different when fresh.

Some of the ones with seeds such as dill and fennel if not heat treated to destroy germination can be seeded in the garden.

You can pass on the jars to a friend if you like or just sprinkle on the ground to let compost. This is if you don't use the jar in cooking.

I'm new here and i grow a few herbs. I saw this thread and thought i'd jump in. I've just ordered seeds and a couple of plants from Territorial seed Company. One plant is of Arp Rosemary. It was developed near me at Arp,TX by the TX Aggies. It is supposed to thrive to Z5. I've grown it before Z7 but than lost it and just discovered it again this year. It is only offered as a plant. I've ordered seeds from TS and was happy with seeds but hav'nt ordered plants before.

I'll check them out. Thanks for the info.

I grow rosemary from primed seeds. Johnny's has these seeds. I start the plants indoors in April and by mid September they are quite large. I usually harvest the sticky leaves by that time and dry them in a dehydrator. Once dried I store them in a quart canning jar. The plants die out in winter, as this type is not that winter hardy. The primed seeds however do sprout very reliably.

Forgot to provide the source link for the rosemary seeds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnny's seeds

My solution is to grow it in pots, and overwinter it indoors.

Bonnie