Ornamental Oregano
Technically edible but most are considered unpalatable. Long-blooming from summer into autumn and a favorite among bees. The cultivars and species we offer are adapted to 4 or more months of summer drought.
Care: spent flowers and stems from the previous year can be sheared back in early spring
Our Selection
Origanum 'Barbara Tingey'
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'
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'
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'
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'
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'
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'
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 laevigatum 'Herrenhausen'
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'
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
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 rotundifolium
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
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.