Growing and Using Oregano

Oregano is an excellent culinary herb and has ornamental and medicinal properties also. It is a close cousin to marjoram, which is not hardy in Michigan. Without getting into all the fine points of the matter, marjoram is a species of oregano, and both are in the mint family. 

Oregano variety Zorba Red

Like most mints, oregano has square stems. The oval leaves may be hairy in some varieties of oregano, and the flowers range from white to purple- red.   The flowers appear in clusters at the end of stems in late summer.  Several ornamental varieties of oregano have been developed; check the zone hardiness of these before purchasing.  Common oregano is winter hardy to at least zone 5 and it is a robust grower, spreading by seed and runners. 

Oregano is one of the Mediterranean herbs that prefer sunny, dry conditions to develop the best taste.  It needs full sun and well drained soil to do its best.   Oregano seldom has pests and requires little or no fertilization.  Large clumps of oregano should be divided every 3-4 years.  Give the plants you don’t want to friends. 

Oregano can be started from seed, either where it is to grow after danger of frost has passed, or in pots. It is easily started from cuttings or dividing mature plants.  Most gardeners will want to start with plants grown from cuttings of good specimens of oregano as there is a wide variation in plants grown from seed, both in size and form, and in taste. Unless you are growing an ornamental flowering variety of oregano, keep the flowers of oregano trimmed off.  This keeps the plants producing the young tender leaves that are best for cooking.

Using oregano

Oregano is high in anti-oxidants and vitamins and has antibacterial properties also, using it in recipes could improve your health.  Oregano has a sharp, spicy, robust flavor that is preferred in Italian, Greek, mid eastern and Latin American cooking.  It is often used in tomato dishes, seafood and grilled meats. What would pizza sauce be without oregano?

Harvest fresh leaves from oregano when there is enough foliage so that you don’t need to harvest more than a third of the plant at a time.  Whole oregano plants can be pulled in the fall and hung to dry, then the dried leaves removed and stored. You can also dry oregano leaves any time during the growing season. The flavor of oregano remains strong when dried.

Oregano varieties with showy flowers are used in perennial borders, on sunny banks and in containers. They are very attractive to bees and can be used to attract pollinators to the garden.

Teas using oregano are said to aid digestion. The flower heads of oregano were formerly used both as a dye plant, giving a pale purple dye, and in making beer.  They are also used as flavorings for wine and vinegar. New research with oregano focuses on its anti-microbal, antibacterial properties.  A film made with an extract from oregano and apples is being tested on foods like poultry to prevent salmonella contamination.

Some varieties

Oregano, Origanum vulgare, comes in many varieties.   Greek oregano, hardy to zone 5, and Kaliteri oregano, hardy to zone 6,( protect with mulch or grow in a protected place in Michigan),  are two good culinary choices.    Kent Beauty oregano has large attractive rose- purple flowers, fairly good oregano taste and is hardy to zone 6.  The Zorba oreganos were developed for their large, attractive flower sprays of white or red.  They bloom continuously through the summer, have an attractive full plant form, fairly good flavor, and are hardy to zone 5.