"boronia rosmarinifolia" was first formally described in a manuscript of alan cunningham. the description was published in 1837 by stephan endlicher in "enumeratio plantarum quas in novae hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium cygnorum et in sinu regis georgii collegit carolus liber baro de hügel". cunningham collected the type specimen from peel island in 1824. the specific epithet ("rosmarinifolia") is derived from the latin words "rosmarinus" meaning "rosemary" and "folium" meaning "leaf".