Ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen'
Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhausen' · Lamiaceae
Dark, wiry stems carry clusters of tiny lilac-pink flowers in maroon bracts for months; the leaves flush purple in cold weather.
- Size
- 20 in tall, 20 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Mid July to mid September
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen'
The planner designed this bed around ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' 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 ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' × 3, pink
- 2 Winter heath × 11, white
- 3 Sea thrift × 5, pink
- 4 Stiff goldenrod × 3, yellow
- 5 Little bluestem × 3, blue-green leaves
- 6 Sea kale × 1, white
- 7 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 4, purple
- 8 Hyacinth × 12, blue
Why this plant
- The only airy sprays. The others are bells, globes, flat plates and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
Why here
- At the back. At 20 in it stands behind the taller sea kale (24 in).
- A step in the back row. Next to ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' (2½ ft) and little bluestem (3 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- In flower for 11 weeks. From mid July to mid September.
- Fills a gap. For five of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 5 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Low plants run along 100% of the front edge: winter heath and sea thrift. The bold leaves of stiff goldenrod are set against the fine leaves of winter heath, the kind of contrast that keeps a bed from blurring.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 4 Good. 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 ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' goes in a border
At 20 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
One of the best butterfly plants for late summer. The flowers dry on the plant and hold their colour. Give it gravel and sun.
- Butterflies in late summer
- Gravel gardens
- Dried flowers
What to plant with ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Sedum 'Matrona': in flower together for six weeks, from mid August; bold leaves against its fine ones; happy in the same dry soil.
- Mexican feather grass: in flower together for three weeks, from mid July; happy in the same dry soil.
- English lavender 'Hidcote': in flower together for three weeks, from mid July; spires rising out of its mound; happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen'
Does ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' need sun or shade?
Ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
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 ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid July to mid September. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 5 | Mid July to mid September |
|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Mid July to mid September |
| Zone 7 | Early July to mid September |
| Zone 8 | Early July to mid September |
| Zone 9 | Late June to mid September |
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 ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' 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 20 in (50 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 ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' 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 a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' 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 ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen'?
These come closest to doing what ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Catmint 'Purrsian Blue': the same job in a bed; 4 in shorter, flowers late May to early September.
- Japanese aster 'Blue Star': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to mid September, lavender, not pink.
- Blanket flower 'Mesa Yellow': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid June to early October, 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 ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen'?
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.
What flowers after ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen'?
Ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' is over by mid September. 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.
- October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Meadow saffron: from mid September to mid October, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' look like in winter?
Ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' 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 ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' good for bees and butterflies?
Ornamental oregano 'Herrenhausen' is visited by bees and butterflies.
More Origanum
- Golden oregano Origanum vulgare 'Aureum'
- Oregano Origanum vulgare
In these guides
- Plants for slopes and banks
- 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
- Plants with purple and burgundy leaves
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 20 in (50 cm) tall, 20 in (50 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid July to mid September; airy sprays; pink, purple
- Leaves
- Fine texture, semi-evergreen; dark green, purple
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Comes from
- Southern Turkey to Northwest Syria and Cyprus
- Attracts
- Bees, butterflies
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, heat, erosion
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. 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.