oregano
Origanum vulgare
RHS Plants for Pollinators
- Habit
- Cascading
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Pinkish-purple or white
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is an herb for borders, containers, rock gardens, and food gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to average, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. Its cascading stems carry pinkish-purple or white flowers in summer and autumn that draw butterflies and bees. Deer and rabbits usually look elsewhere for a meal. The leaves are fragrant, and the plant tolerates drought.
Pairs well with Thyme, Rosemary, Tomato, and SuperBlue lavender.
Native range
Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Asia, and 24 more places. See all 28
Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Asia, Africa, Arctic, Altay, Azores, Baleares, Buryatiya, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Irkutsk, Kirgizstan, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Madeira, NW. Balkan Pen., Sardegna, Sicilia, Tadzhikistan, Tuva, Türkiye, Xinjiang, and Yakutiya.