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Oregano
Origanum
Oregano blooms from June through August.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Oregano
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 16 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, 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, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Oregano
Plant Oregano in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. Once settled, it blooms from June to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Oregano get?
16 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Oregano in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Oregano
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Oregano about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Oregano to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Oregano's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenOriganum vulgareheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State Extensiongenus pageheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionOriganum vulgareheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societyheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Centerheight and sun
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Extension Gardening Solutionssun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionIllinois Extension Herb Gardeningheight and sun
- University of Maryland ExtensionHome and Garden Information Centerheight
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Oregano
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
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.
Switchgrass
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.
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; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
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.
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 10 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
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 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.