I have two rosemary bushes. Both are upright types but I believe of two different cultivars.
Anyway leaves on one of the rosemary bushes feel a little sticky. The other bush doesn't have the sticky feel to their leaves. Is this some kind of disease?
tmm
Sticky rosemary?
Rosemary does have a very sticky sap, almost like pine resin. I don't generally notice it unless I'm stripping branches for use in cooking... maybe there was a little bruising or damage on the sticky plant? Has this plant always felt sticky? Could just be that this cultivar exudes more of the oils etc on its leaves.
Are there any signs of pests? Scale, spider mites, uh what are the little monsters that make tiny cotton-ball looking things at the base of the leaves.... mealie bugs? anyway, some pests can leave sticky residue on plants.
Thanks for your post.
Yeah, I bet that is it - kind of like a sap! And the leaves are slightly shiny compared to the other rosemary plant. No, no pests at all that I can see. Initially I thought slugs have climbed on the plant, but I don't see any shiny slug tracks. Every leaf is equally slightly sticky/shiny. The plant looks very healthy to me. I will look for bugs etc, but after what you told me, I am betting I've got the sticky variety.
tmm
Hi tmm99 - I also have a sticky and a non-sitcky rosemary. The non-sticky one is more upright. The sticky one likes to droop and cascade over a wall. They are clearly different cultivars. Neither has had a health problem and seem quite happy. So I assume they are doing the normal thing for their type.