Origanum vulgare
Oregano, Common marjoram, Wild marjoram, Dwarf marjoram, Creeping marjoram
- Height × spread
- 0.3m × 0.5m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Very cold to -20C (RHS H6)
- Flowers
- Summer, Autumn
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This is often referred to as pot marjoram. Common marjoram can be found growing all over Europe, in north Africa and in eastern and central Asia. Tiny oval green leaves make a compact plant that spreads and straggles in too much shade or with too much rich living! Flowers appear from July right through autumn carrying little heads of shell-pink to purple flowers that are beloved by bees. The plant was used by the ancient Greeks both as a crown for wedding couples and as a plant to commemorate the dead when it used to be planted on graves. Marjoram has been used to ease toothache, so its uses extend beyond the cooking pot.
- Flower colour
- Pink, White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Stem colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Dome
- Height
- 0.3m
- Spread
- 0.5m
- Season of interest
- Summer
- Flowers in
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Seaside garden, Scented garden, Herb garden, Gravel garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Gravelly soil, Loam (normal), Poor soil, Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, Neutral
- Drainage
- Well drained soil, Drought resistant
- Hardiness
- Very cold to -20C (RHS H6)
- Borders & containers
- Borders and containers
- Use for
- Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Bee attraction, Butterfly attraction
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- No
- Pet safe
- Yes – listed in our pet-safe plants
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water during dry periods
For plants in the ground, when there has been little or no rain for a period of 7-10 days and the soil is dry, give it a deep watering and repeat weekly until there is a downpour of rain. Check plants in pots more frequently, especially in hot weather.
Spring - early · Planting
Prune to the ground
Cut foliage to the ground before new growth starts.
Where stems are grown for their ornamental value, old stems should be removed either before new growth starts in spring, or during winter when they begin to look ragged or untidy.
Spring - early-mid · Planting
Divide when too large
The plant can be divided if it becomes too large or another plant is required. This may involve physically dividing the clump in two, removing offsets or small bulbs or dividing rhizomes. The new plants can be grown in pots or planted in the ground.
Found in
More Origanum
Origanum 'Kent Beauty'
Marjoram, Marjory
Origanum 'Rosenkuppel'
Marjoram, Marjory
Origanum dictamnus 'French Flair'
Oregano
Origanum laevigatum
Marjoram, Marjory, Showy oregano, Smooth leaved oregano
Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhausen'
Marjoram, Marjory, Showy oregano, Smooth leaved oregano
Origanum laevigatum 'Hopleys'
Marjoram, Marjory, Showy oregano, Smooth leaved oregano
Origanum onites
Pot marjoram, French marjoram, Cretan oregano
Origanum rotundifolium
Round leaved oregano, Round leaved marjoram