Plant Finder

Other Names:  formerly:Origanum heracleoticum

Description:

Grown primarily in herb gardens for culinary use and noted for very flavorful leaves; does well in sandy loam, good heat and drought tolerance; attractive in containers but has minimal ornamental features

Edible Qualities

Greek Strain Oregano is a perennial herb that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. The fragrant oval green leaves which emerge chartreuse in spring are usually harvested from late spring to mid summer. The leaves have a spicy taste and a distinctive fragrance.

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Seasoning

Features & Attributes

Greek Strain Oregano's small fragrant oval leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning green in color the rest of the year on a plant with a mounded habit of growth.

This is an herbaceous evergreen perennial herb with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Greek Strain Oregano is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Herb Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Greek Strain Oregano will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated herb garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Greek Strain Oregano is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Sizes Available:

3.5" CONT $3.99