Genus: Origanum

Common Names: oregano

Description coming soon.

Distribution: Europe, Asia, Northern Africa

Origanum 'Barbara Tingey'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; a hybrid of O. rotundifolium and an unknown species that boasts delicately veined foliage and large flower bracts with tiny pink flowers in summer. A tidier growth habit than the popular O. 'Kent Beauty' and arguably much prettier. 

Height: to 8 in. Spread: to 1 ft.

Origanum 'Bristol Cross'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; allegedly a cross between O. laevigatum and O. rotundifolium. Sturdy, reddish stems support chartreuse and rose bracts with tiny pink flowers in summer. 

Height: to 8 in. Spread: to 18 in.

Origanum 'Cameron Can Dance'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; a 2008 introduction by Goodwin Creek Gardens and simply a gem in the rock garden! Sturdy, reddish stems support small chartreuse and rose bracts with small pink flowers in summer. Excellent in dried floral arrangements.

Height: to 10 in. Spread: to 12 in.

Origanum 'Goodwin Creek'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; we raised this from open-pollinated seed of O. rotundifolium given to us by Jim and Dottie Becker of Goodwin Creek Gardens for whom we named it after. Clearly a hybrid of some sort with long, slender chartreuse and rose bracts and compact, gray-green foliage. One of our favorite origanums and not just because we introduced it.

Height: to 10 in. Spread: to 1 ft.

Origanum 'Kent Beauty'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; far and away the most popular ornamental oregano in the trade. A chance seedling in an English garden (in Kent if you'd believe it) thought to by a hybrid of O. rotundifolium and O. scabrum. Showy dark rose flower bracts with small pink flowers in summer. Spreads via underground runners which makes it less than ideal for container culture. Easily appreciated cascading over rocks, a retaining wall, or something of the sort.

Height: to 6 in. Spread: to 3 ft.

Origanum 'Lizzie's Hybrid #2'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; apparently the best subject of 6 selected seedlings by Liz Fial at California Flora Nursery. Thought to be a cross between O. laevigatum and O. vulgare. Dark rosy and chartreuse bracts with tiny dark pink flowers in summer. Spreads slowly by rhizomes.

Height: to 15 in. Spread: to 2 ft.

Origanum 'Rosenkuppel'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; a Dutch introduction that translates to "rose dome" in English. Dark green foliage flushed with purple and maroon veins. Vibrant red-purple bracts and tiny pink flowers in summer. Popular with both pollinators and florists for dried arrangements

Height: to 15 in. Spread: to 2 ft.

Origanum ×majoricum

Common name(s): hardy sweet marjoram

Description: perennial; a naturally occurring hybrid of true marjoram, (O. majorana) and wild marjoram/oregano (O. vulgare) which has inherited the sweetness of O. majorana and the increased hardiness of O. vulgare. Used widely as a perennial substitute for true marjoram in colder temperate gardens. Mostly sterile and self-contained in the garden. White flower clusters in summer.

Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 18 in.

Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhausen'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; a selection with darker, deeper purple flowers than the species and strong, dark green stems. Spreads slowly by underground rhizome. Excellent in dried floral arrangements.

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.

Origanum laevigatum 'Hopleys'

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; a selection introduced by Hopley's Nursery in England and selected for its vigor and hardiness compared to the species. Showy lavender-purple flowers bloom throughout the summer. Spreads slowly by rhizome.

Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 2 ft.

Origanum libanoticum

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; a species endemic to Lebanon. Low, spreading stems support long rosy chartreuse bracts with tiny pink flowers in summer. Splendidly aromatic foliage.

Height: to 15 in. Spread: to 18 in.

Origanum onites

Common name(s): pot marjoram, Cretan oregano

Description: perennial; a common herb in the Eastern Mediterranean and often used in place of oregano or marjoram where it is locally available. Defined by it's corymb-like white flower clusters in summer and a reduced leaf size in summer months. 

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.

Origanum rotundifolium

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; a species native to Turkey, Georgia, and Armenia that is rather rare in cultivation. Low-growing and cascading with eloquently veined aromatic foliage and large, pale chartreuse, bracts with tiny pink flowers in summer. Gorgeous on a natural slope or cascading over a wall.

Height: to 6 in. Spread: to 18 in.

Origanum siplyeum

Common name(s): ornamental oregano

Description: perennial; a species native to Turkey and the Aegean Islands and quite rare in cultivation. Long, sturdy stems support relatively small bracts with tiny pink flowers in summer. Very tidy, compact growth.

Height: to 8 in. Spread: to 18 in.

Origanum syriacum

Common name(s): Syrian oregano, za'atar, bible hyssop

Description: perennial; a common herb in Middle Eastern cuisine and the preferred Origanum species for the spice blend, za'atar. Aromatic green foliage and white flower clusters in summer. Requires lean, gritty soil with near perfect drainage.

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.

Origanum vulgare subsp. gracile

Common name(s): Persian oregano, Turkish oregano, Russian oregano

Description: perennial; a subspecies native to Turkey, Iran and Central Asia. The most common form used in Persian cuisine and higher in essential oil (carvacrol) than any Origanum other than O. vulgare subsp. hirtum. One study found it to maintain high levels of essential oil under moderate and severe drought stress. White flower clusters in summer. An excellent culinary choice.

Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 3 ft.

Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum

Common name(s): Greek oregano

Description: perennial; defined by green bracts, white flowers and a high essential oil (carvacrol) content, this is the traditional oregano used in Southern Italian and Greek cuisine and is the general preference worldwide for culinary oregano. Spreads by runners and can become quite prolific in overly enriched soils. Can self-seed in optimal conditions.

Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 3 ft.

Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum 'Hot and Spicy'

Common name(s): spicy Greek oregano, hot and spicy oregano

Description: perennial; a sport of O. vulgare subsp. hirtum selected for its more potent flavor. Gray-green leaves and ultimately taller than O. vulgare subsp. hirtum. Leaves (dried or fresh) can sometimes leave a numb sensation on your tongue and are an excellent way to add an extra bite bite to salsas/sauces.

Height: to 3 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.

Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare 'Compactum'

Common name(s): compact oregano, wild marjoram

Description: perennial; low-growing into a tidy, compact mound of pleasantly aromatic foliage. Milder in taste and a much more attractive plant than Greek oregano (subsp. hirtum). Showy flower clusters in summer are irresistable to bees and other pollinators. Rarely self-seeds.

Height: to 10 in. Spread: to 2 ft.

Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare 'Variegata'

Common name(s): variegated wild marjoram, variegated oregano

Description: perennial; a small, compact mound of variegated foliage with cream-white margins. Much milder than Greek oregano (subsp. hirtum) but still used for culinary application. Overall, a much more attractive plant than Greek oregano as well. Sterile flowers won't set seed around the garden.

Height: to 8 in. Spread: to 15 in.