Golden oregano
Origanum vulgare 'Aureum' · Lamiaceae
A dense, spreading mat of small, rounded, bright golden-yellow leaves, scented and edible, with pale pink flowers.
- Size
- 12 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers mid July to late August
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around golden oregano
The planner designed this bed around golden oregano when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 715 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why golden oregano stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Golden oregano × 8, chartreuse leaves
- 2 Dianthus 'Kahori' × 8, pink
- 3 Brown-eyed Susan × 3, yellow
- 4 Wild quinine × 3, white
- 5 Leadplant × 1, purple
- 6 Coneflower 'Green Jewel' × 3, green
- 7 Spring starflower × 12, blue
- 8 Star of Persia × 4, purple
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- Under the taller plants. It runs back between them as living mulch: there its job is to cover the soil, not to be looked at.
- 8 plants in 2 groups (5 and 3). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, into winter. They cover the 13 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Neither end outweighs the other: the visual weight is split 50 to 50, left to right. The flowering is at its height from late July, with 5 kinds out together.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 4 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where golden oregano goes in a border
At 12 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is low (6 to 12 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
A gold carpet for the front of a sunny herb bed. The colour is best in spring and in full light; in the hottest sun the leaves can scorch at the edges.
- Gold edging for a herb garden
- Groundcover in sun
- Contrast with purple sage and blue flowers
What to plant with golden oregano
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Culinary sage: adds the flowers, early June to early July; spires rising out of its mound; tall enough (24 in) to stand behind it.
- English lavender 'Hidcote': adds the flowers, late June to late July; spires rising out of its mound; happy in the same dry soil.
- Chives: adds the flowers, mid May to mid June.
Questions about golden oregano
Does golden oregano need sun or shade?
Golden oregano grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does golden oregano grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should golden oregano be planted?
16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many golden oregano plants do I need?
At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.
Is golden oregano poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: mild toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. Safe for people, but can cause mild vomiting and diarrhoea in pets that eat a lot of it.
Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a pet-safe plant like golden oregano?
These come closest to doing what golden oregano does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Lamb's ear: the same job in a bed and the same size; bold leaves, not fine.
- Sedum 'Angelina': the same job in a bed; 7 in shorter, keeps its leaves in winter.
- Pussytoes: the same job in a bed; 8 in shorter, 4 in narrower.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat golden oregano?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will golden oregano spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by rooting stems into a mat. Trim the edges once a year.
What does golden oregano look like in winter?
Golden oregano holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
Is golden oregano good for bees and butterflies?
Golden oregano is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and moths.
More Origanum
- Oregano Origanum vulgare
- Ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhausen'
In these guides
- Plants you can walk on
- Deer-resistant perennials for full sun
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Drought-tolerant perennials for full sun
- Garden plants toxic to cats
- Garden plants toxic to dogs
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Low plants for the front of a border
- Groundcover plants
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial (groundcover)
- Size
- 12 in (30 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Low (6 to 12 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid July to late August; airy sprays; pink, lavender
- Leaves
- Fine texture, semi-evergreen; chartreuse
- Shape
- Mat-forming, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Comes from
- Europe, Macaronesia to China
- Attracts
- Pollinators, bees, butterflies, moths
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, heat, foot traffic
Checked against NC State Extension, ASPCA poison lists and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.