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Oregano
Origanum
Oregano blooms from June through August.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Oregano
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 1.3 ft tall and 1.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Oregano
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Oregano into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from June to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in April.
Good to know about Oregano
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Safe for people to eat, but the ASPCA lists it toxic to dogs, cats and horses: a mild stomach irritant that brings on vomiting and diarrhea. per ASPCA and NC State
Worth knowing
Oregano's flavor comes from oils that peak just before it flowers. Pinch off the flower buds to keep the leaves growing and at their most pungent. per Penn State
Hardiness varies by type
Penn State says zones 5 to 8; the whole genus spans 3a to 10b. Common oregano is hardy to about zone 5, but the tastier Greek type is less so. per Penn State and NC State
Pick the right oregano
For real flavor, grow Greek oregano (subsp. hirtum), the pungent one sold dried in stores. Seed-grown plants are variable and often bland, so buy named, cutting-grown plants. per Illinois
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits leave oregano alone; the aromatic oils in the leaves are the deterrent. It also shrugs off drought, poor soil and erosion. per NC State
A pollinator magnet in bloom
Let it flower and it draws swarms of bees, butterflies and moths. But pinching buds for kitchen flavor removes the very bloom pollinators need, so let some plants flower. per NC State
Spreads and self-sows modestly
It creeps outward by trailing stems and self-sows, and can naturalize, but it is not an aggressive rhizome runner the way true mint spreads. per NC State
What pairs well with Oregano
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Aster
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Lilac
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; stands well above at 9.8 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Autumn Crocus
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Fountain Grass
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Pampas Grass
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; stands well above at 8.2 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
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