The Main Plant entry for Oreganos (Origanum vulgare)

This database entry exists to show plant data and photos that apply generically to all Oreganos.

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9b
Leaves: Fragrant
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Pink
White
Other: Tiny, white to rosy pink flowers
Flower Time: Summer
Late summer or early fall
Other: July - October
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Uses: Erosion control
Groundcover
Culinary Herb
Medicinal Herb
Will Naturalize
Suitable as Annual
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Propagation: Seeds: Depth to plant seed: cover the seeds very thin
Suitable for wintersowing
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Propagation: Other methods: Layering
Division
Pollinators: Moths and Butterflies
Bees
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil

Image
Common names
  • Oregano
  • Wild Marjoram
  • Creeping Marjoram

Photo Gallery
Location: Bayerische Alpen
Date: 2018-07-29
In the wild
Location: Bayerische Alpen
Date: 2018-07-29
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2009-10-05
Location: Aberdeen, NC (my garden 2022)
Date: July 7, 2022
Oregano #4vg; LHB p.860, 176-25-1, "Ancient Greek name, said to m
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-06-23
Location: Aberdeen, NC
Date: April 30, 2022
Oregano #4vg; LHB p.860, 176-25-1, "Ancient Greek name, said to m
Location: Ghent, Belgium
Date: 2014-06-20
Location: San Antonio, TX
Date: 2019-10-16
Location: Gardenfish garden
Date: April 2020
Spring growth
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House garden)
Date: June 17, 2023
Oregano #4vg; LHB p.860, 176-25-1, "Ancient Greek name Said to me
Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2015-04-07
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-18
Location: Botanical book
Date: 14.07.2018
Botanical illustration of Origanum vulgare
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens 
Date: 2011-09-28
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-03-28
Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2015-04-01
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-07-09

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
Location: Gent, Belgium
Date: 2014-06-20
Location: My garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2013-07-26
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2001-09-02
  • Uploaded by Joy

Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissio
  • Uploaded by Joy
Photo by Hamwild
Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2010-12-02
Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2009-08-12
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2009-09-30
Location: Humala, Estonia.
Date: June
credit: Ivar Leidus
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-08-11
Developing seed heads.
Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2013-09-26
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2013-07-31
Close-up
Location: My garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2013-07-26
Location: Botanical Garden Meise (Belgium)
Date: 2017-02-11

Photo courtesy of Santa Rosa Gardens. Used with permission.
Location: Mercer Botanical Garden  Houston, Tx
Date: 2014-05-19

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
Location: Mercer Botanical Garden  Houston, Tx
Date: 2014-05-19
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-30
Location: western Oregon
Date: 2016-01-04

 Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissi
  • Uploaded by Joy

 Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissi
  • Uploaded by Joy
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Comments:
  • Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on May 9, 2012 5:21 PM concerning plant:
    Valuable source of nectar and pollen for honey bees.
  • Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 1, 2014 9:05 PM concerning plant:
    Origanum vulgare serves as a useful companion plant in the garden by reportedly helping to repel the Cabbage White butterfly.
  • Posted by ZGadev (Varna,Bulgaria) on Jul 14, 2018 8:23 AM concerning plant:
    In bulgarian риган.
    Perennial herbaceous plant with a bony, usually creeping branching rhizome. The stems are upright, 30-60 (90) cm high, four-legged, branched. Leaves opposite to short stems, oblong or oblong ovate, top green, bottom pale green. Single and bipolar flowers in the bristles of large overlapping dark-purple bracts collected in elongated classes forming crowned branches at the branches. Twill, twill-purple to light-purple, less common white. Fruit dry, falling into 4 nuts. Blooms June-August (September).
    Grows out of bushes, thin forests and forest meadows. Spread across the country (Bulgaria), from the plains up to 2000 m above sea level. The herb is found throughout Europe.
    Main action - Expectorant, stimulating digestion. Removes cramps in stomach and intestine pains and in flatulence. The herb also has a nervous appetite.
  • Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Oct 28, 2012 2:38 PM concerning plant:
    Name means 'joy of the mountains.' Can spread rather aggressively unless kept in check.
  • Posted by BookerC1 (Mackinaw, IL - Zone 5a) on Aug 23, 2014 7:01 PM concerning plant:
    The little pot of oregano I bought almost 20 years ago has now provided starts of oregano to many of my friends, neighbors, and family members! This is a reliable, easy-to-grow perennial. It is very drought-tolerant, thriving and growing prolifically even in hot, humid years. I actually have to be fairly aggressive myself in keeping it pruned back and thinned, or it would overtake the entire area I've set aside for herbs.

    The fragrance of oregano is very pleasant, and it forms an attractive, sprawling mound covered with small purple flowers. It is a butterfly and bee magnet in my garden, and I've found that the bees are so focused and intent on diving into each bloom that they don't even notice if I am working nearby.

    The flavor is fairly strong, so a little goes a long way. if your recipe calls for dried oregano, you can substitute 3 times the amount of fresh oregano (i.e., if it says one teaspoon of dried, use three teaspoons of fresh), as the dried is more concentrated.

    This is one of the easier herbs to dry: Just bundle some clean, dry branches together and hang upside down in a cool, dry place. When thoroughly dried, the leaves crumble easily. Store the dried oregano in a cool, dark place.
Plant Events from our members
gwenmason On September 3, 2016 Transplanted
NikkiGerena On June 12, 2017 Seeds sown
NikkiGerena On June 1, 2017 Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc)
NikkiGerena On May 21, 2017 Plant emerged
thepurplebug On June 11, 2019 Seeds germinated
thepurplebug On June 3, 2019 Seeds sown
Seeds planted in a container in front of the house.
lovesblooms On February 16, 2020 Seeds sown
winter sown
paleohunter On April 11, 2022 Obtained plant
WebTucker On May 14, 2022 Obtained plant
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Maybe Origanum species? by NMoasis Sep 20, 2021 7:55 PM 2

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