How to Plant and Grow Oregano

Oregano can be either edible or ornamental oregano, and both types come in several different varieties. Culinary oregano is a multitasking perennial, both a fragrant addition to the garden as well as the kitchen. Plant culinary oregano in a sunny garden bed or container close to the house for a quick and easy harvest for your next Mediterranean-inspired meal. Whichever type of oregano you grow, you’ll love oregano’s clean, green foliage and casual mounding habit. Small flowers appear in summer, which draw pollinators.

Where to Plant Oregano

Oregano grows well in full sun, making it a good choice for planting alongside other sun-loving herbs like rosemary, parsley, sage, and thyme. Grow these herbs together in a planting bed, alongside perennials in a mixed border, or in a raised bed. Oregano needs well-drained soil that can be acidic, neutral, or alkaline.

Planting a trio of oregano plants near a boisterous planting of hollyhocks and daylilies gives the eye a quiet place to rest amid the color and interest of the combination. Take advantage of low-growing oregano forming a wide mound of foliage, blanketing nearby soil, and smothering out weeds.

How and When to Plant Oregano

Oregano is best grown from nursery-grown transplants. Plant oregano in the spring when there is no more spring frost in the forecast. Daytime temperatures around 70 degrees are ideal.

Dig a hole about 1.5 times as wide as the root ball and at the same depth. Place the plant in the hole and backfill with the original soil. Tamp down the soil and water the plant immediately. Keep it watered until new growth indicates that the plant is established.

Space oregano plants 8 to 10 inches apart.

Oregano Care Tips

Like most perennial herbs, oregano does not require much care but growing it in the right conditions is crucial.

Light

Plant oregano in full sun. It will tolerate part shade, but the plant often becomes open and floppy.

Soil and Water

Well-drained soil is essential, not only for the plant to grow but also to survive the winter, which it won’t in soggy, wet soil. It grows in a pH range between 6.0 and 7.5.

Once established, oregano is fairly drought-resistant. It is sensitive to overwatering. Only water it when it begins to dry out, then water it slowly and deeply in the morning.

If overwintering potted oregano plants indoors, water when the surface of the soil is dry.

Temperature and Humidity

Oregano is marginally hardy in Zone 5. You can help your plants overwinter by covering them with a winter mulch of evergreen boughs or straw after the soil freezes in late fall. Remove the mulch as soon as growth resumes in spring. Potted oregano plants can also be overwintered in a sunny window indoors.

Fertilizer

Like many aromatic herbs, oregano grows best in moderately fertile soil. If the soil is too rich and there are excess nutrients such as nitrogen in the soil, the herb will have a less intense aroma. If you’ve planted your oregano in average soil, no fertilization is needed.

Pruning

As summer progresses, oregano can start to look a little untidy. In addition to removing spent flowers and dead foliage, oregano tolerates shearing well; don't hesitate to cut plants back by half their stem length to encourage them to produce fresh, flavorful foliage.

Potting and Repotting Oregano

Like all herbs, oregano also thrives in containers. Choose a pot with large drainage holes that amply fits the root ball of the plant plus about 2 inches for future growth. Use a well-draining, general-purpose potting mix that contains perlite or vermiculite for good drainage. Keep in mind that potted oregano, unlike plants in the landscape, needs more frequent watering.

The roots of potted oregano are prone to winter injury even if oregano is hardy in your climate zone. To insulate the roots from the cold, either bury the container in the garden in the fall or place the pot in a larger pot and fill it with mulch. You can also wrap the pot in bubble wrap or burlap to protect the root system.

About every two years, or when the roots have filled the pot, repot the oregano to a larger pot with fresh potting mix or divide it and plant smaller sections into different pots.

Pests and Problems

Oregano is rarely bothered by serious pests or diseases. Spider mites and aphids are common and can be treated with insecticidal soap. Wet, poorly draining soil can lead to root rot.

How to Propagate Oregano

The results of growing oregano from seed may be disappointing due to cross-pollination or because many popular culinary oregano varieties are often hybrids whose seeds won’t produce plants that are true to the parent. Therefore, it is best to propagate oregano by dividing a mature plant, which also helps rejuvenate it.

Division is best done in the early spring. Dig up the entire plant with its root ball using a spade or shovel. Gently separate the roots using your fingers so you have two or more healthy-looking sections. Plant the sections at the same depth as the original plant and water them well until you see new growth.

Harvesting

Begin harvesting oregano as soon as sprigs are 6 inches tall. Harvest stems frequently to prevent the plant from producing flowers and to keep it from forming woody plant stems.

Pick leaves as needed throughout the growing season. Their flavor fades after plants bloom so harvest before flower buds open.

The flavor of oregano stays strong after drying it. To dry a large amount of oregano, cut stems back to 3 inches (before flower buds open); cut again in the same way in late summer. Dry the stems by bundling them together and hanging them upside down in a dark place with good air circulation. When leaves are dry, crumble them from stems, store leaves in an airtight container. When cooking, if a recipe calls for dried oregano, you can substitute twice the amount of fresh for the same flavorful result.

Types of Oregano

Cretan Oregano

Pot marjoram (Origanum onites) is a shrubby plant that grows 18 inches tall and up to 24 inches wide. Its leaves have an intense oregano flavor. Late in the growing season, when the plant becomes quite woody, the flavor may become bitter. Cut back the plant at that time to encourage tender regrowth. Cretan oregano bears white to pale pink flowers. Zones 7-11

Dittany of Crete

Origanum dictamnus makes an excellent rock garden plant. It has fuzzy gray-green leaves that form a mound 6-8 inches tall. In summer it sends up flower stalks with persistent papery bracts that are light green with a blush of pink. Zones 7-11

Golden Oregano

This variety of Origanum vulgare ('Aureum') has yellow-green leaves and white flowers. Like its green-leaf cousin, Greek oregano, it is edible. Golden oregano is sometimes sold as creeping golden marjoram. The plant grows 12-18 inches tall and wide. Zones 6-10

Greek Oregano

Origanum vulgare hirtum offers the best flavor for culinary use. Like all culinary oreganos, it has white flowers. It is often confused with wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), but true Greek oregano has a much stronger flavor. It grows 6-10 inches tall and spreads 12-18 inches wide. Zones 5-10

'Jim's Best' Oregano

This Origanum vulgare variety is noted for its variegated green-and-gold foliage. The light green leaves are marbled with flecks of yellow. It grows 6-12 inches tall and spreads up to 24 inches wide. It was named by Jim Long of Long Creek Herbs. Zones 5-10

'Hot & Spicy' Greek Oregano

Origanum vulgare 'Hot & Spicy' is a type of Greek oregano with an exceptionally intense flavor. Its leaves are dark green. Flowers are white to light pink but not especially showy. It grows 12-18 inches tall and spreads up to 24 inches wide. Zones 5-10

'Pilgrim' Ornamental Oregano

Origanum laevigatum 'Pilgrim' ornamental oregano produces masses of rosy pink flowers and bracts on upright arching bloom stalks that reach 15-18 inches tall. This drought-tolerant perennial is great for dry hillside gardens. Zones 5-10

'Herrenhausen' Ornamental Oregano

This selection of Origanum laevigatum is a butterfly magnet when in bloom from midsummer through fall. Flowering shoots rise 18-24 inches above the spreading rhizomatous stems. Clusters of pink blooms with purple-maroon bracts make 'Herrenhausen' an excellent fresh or dried cut flower. The plant has dark green foliage with a purplish tinge. Zones 4-10

Cascading Ornamental Oregano

Also known as Lebanese oregano and hopflower oregano, Origanum libanoticum references to its area of origin and the shape of its flower clusters. The plant has fine blue-green foliage, and in summer it sends out wiry arching stems with pendulous pale green papery bracts with pinkish-purple flowers. The plant grows 18 inches tall and 18-24 inches wide. Zones 5-10

Garden Plans For Oregano

Classic Herb Garden Plan

Ensure your kitchen is always stocked with fresh herbs with this classic herb garden plan, where ten kinds of herbs surround a decorative sundial in a 6-foot-diameter bed.

Colorful Herb Garden Plan

Get an herb garden that dazzles with this colorful plan, where a 3x8-foot border features foliage with purple, green, and golden hues—including variegated leaves.