Oregano and Marjoram: 
An Herb Society of America Guide to the Genus Origanum

Garden Uses (continued)

Origanum xmajoricum border (right and back)

According to Henry Flowers, oregano's fine texture can provide a nice contrast to coarser, bolder-leaved plants. He uses oreganos in borders and beds, and plants the mounding types as fillers. The soft texture looks great around shrubs and under roses, and the gray-leaved species look wonderful with lavenders. Henry also suggests planting with plants with different bloom times for variety and a continuous display. Although O. xmajoricum is a culinary Origanum, its graceful, fountain-like flowers make it a perfect addition to many types of gardens and plantings (51).

There are many origanums that are planted exclusively as ornamentals for their attractive bracts, flowers and foliage. These include O. 'Kent Beauty,' O. 'Hopley's Purple,' O. 'Herrenhausen,' O. sipyleum, O. scabrum, O. acudins, O. amanum and O. xsuendermanii (hort.), which Rex Talbert describes as "exotic looking" (95). Some of the hybrids and lesser-known ornamentals are James Adams's favorites for mixed plantings. According to Jim, "cultivars such as O. 'Herrenhausen' and O. 'Rotkugel' are really beautiful in a perennial planting or planted next to a walkway. They might not be tasty in food, but when stepped on they release an oregano scent which is always welcome" (1). For edging, Barbara Varland uses the spreading, low-growing cultivars O. 'Jim Best', O. vulgare subsp. vulgare 'Humile,' O. vulgare 'White Anniversary,' O. vulgare 'Polyphant' and O. vulgare subsp. vulgare 'Aureum' (109). Try plants with variegated foliage in perennial borders or mixed containers with flowers (64). Scott Kresge also recommends cascading varieties for flower boxes and mixed hanging baskets (64).

Origanums can also be planted in many types of gardens including children's, medicinal (114), and rock gardens (34, 59). The culinary oreganos can be used in pizza gardens (114), and sweet marjoram can be grown in knot gardens (41). O. vulgare is useful in bee and butterfly gardens (6, 93). As a butterfly nectar plant O. vulgare is the "preferred flower" of the Ctenucha moth (6), and is one of the few plants pollinated by the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata) (93).

A practical use of origanums in the landscape is for erosion control. O. vulgare subsp. vulgare can be grown on hillsides to prevent erosion, and Tina Marie Wilcox likes to plant it on the roof of her root cellar to hold the soil in place (114).

Next topic: Other Uses

Previous Page | Next Page

Back to Uses Index
Back to Contents