Oregano

Questions about oregano

Does oregano need sun or shade?

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, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does oregano grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does oregano flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early July to late August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should oregano be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 20 in (50 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many oregano plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.

Is 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 oregano?

These come closest to doing what oregano does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Hyssop: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour; fine leaves, not medium.
• Coneflower 'Kim's Knee High': the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour; a drift, not an edging, wants average soil.
• Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; belongs at the front, not in the middle, yellow, not pink.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat 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 oregano spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground runners and can crowd its neighbours. Dig out the edges or divide every 2 to 3 years.

What flowers after oregano?

Oregano is over by late August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
• Bottle gentian: from late August to early October, 20 in tall.
• Garlic chives: from late August to mid September, 20 in tall.

What does oregano look like in winter?

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 oregano good for bees and butterflies?

Oregano is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and moths.