Origanum vulgare - Oregano

Family:	Labiatae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.6
Width:	0.75
Synonyms:
Range:	Most of Europe, including Britain, to north and west Asia.

Origanum vulgare (Oregano) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m and a width of 0.75m . It has a hardness rating of 5and is vunerable to frost.
Oregano will flower in January to March. the seeds ripen from February to April
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, lepidoptera

Soil Information

Oregano will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Oregano prefers either dry or moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Oregano can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Dry grassy areas and scrub, usually on calcareous soils[9, 17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Can be planted in Cultivated Beds
• Can spread to cover ground and will out compete weeds
• Suits a meadow

Cultivation Details

Requires a rather dry, warm, well-drained soil in full sun, but is not fussy as to soil type, thriving on chalk[1, 27]. Prefers slightly alkaline conditions[200]. Tolerates poor soils[24]. Dislikes wet soils[37]. Hardy to about -20°c[187]. Oregano has a long history of culinary and medicinal use and is often cultivated in modern gardens as a culinary herb, there are some named varieties[183, 187, 238, 244]. Plants growing near the sea have the most fragrance[7]. A good companion plant, improving the flavour of nearby plants[201]. The flowers are very attractive to bees and butterflies[5, 30]. A good companion for the cucumber family[14], it is beneficial to all nearby plants[20]. The whole plant has a sweet yet slightly peppery aroma[245]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 3/5
Leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb[5, 52, 183]. Oregano is an important flavouring herb in Mediterranean cookery, and is often used dried rather than fresh[238]. The leaves are used as a flavouring for salad dressings, vegetables and legumes, and are frequently included in strongly flavoured dishes with chillies, garlic, onions etc[2, 13, 21, 27, 183, 238]. A nutritional analysis is available[218]. Much of the commercially available dried oregano does not come from this plant but from a number of different, often unrelated plants[238]. These include Lippia graveolens, L. palmeri and Origanum syriacum[238]. A herb tea is made from the dried leaves and flowering stems[183, 207, 238].

• Condiment - the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
• Leaves -
• Tea - the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 3/5
Oregano has been used as a culinary and medicinal herb for thousands of years. It has a beneficial effect upon the digestive and respiratory systems and is also used to promote menstruation[254]. It should not be used medicinally by pregnant women though it is perfectly safe in small amounts for culinary purposes[254]. The leaves and flowering stems are strongly antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and mildly tonic[4, 7, 9, 21, 254]. The plant is taken internally in the treatment of colds, influenza, mild feverish illnesses, indigestion, stomach upsets and painful menstruation[238]. It is strongly sedative and should not be taken in large doses, though mild teas have a soothing effect and aid restful sleep[244]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[238]. Externally, oregano is used to treat bronchitis, asthma, arthritis and muscular pain[238]. The plant can be used fresh or dried - harvest the whole plant (but not the roots) in late summer to dry and store for winter use[244]. Oregano is often used in the form of an essential oil that is distilled from the flowering plant[4]. A few drops of the essential oil, put on cotton wool and placed in the hollow of an aching tooth, frequently relieves the pain of toothache[4, 207]. This plant is one of the best natural antiseptics because of its high thymol content[7]. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy to treat the same kinds of complaints that the herb is used for[238].

• Antiseptic - Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
• Antispasmodic - Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
• Aromatherapy - Plants whose essential oils are used in Aromatherapy.
• Carminative - Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
• Cholagogue - Increases the flow of bile and its discharge from the body.
• Diaphoretic - Induces perspiration.
• Emmenagogue - Promotes or increases the menstrual flow. In early stages of pregnancy it can induce an abortion.
• Expectorant - Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
• Odontalgic - Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.
• Stimulant - Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
• Stomachic - Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
• Tonic - Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring at 10 - 13°c and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring. Division in March or October. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Basal cuttings of young barren shoots in June. Very easy. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Scented parts of the plants

Plant : CrushedDried

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

An essential oil from the plant is used as a food flavouring, in soaps and perfumery[115, 171]. The herb contains 0.15 - 0.4% essential oil[218] and makes good herbal pillows and baths[244]. The plant was formerly used as a strewing herb[201]. The essential oil has also been used to kill lice, though some caution is advised since it can cause skin irritations[238]. A red or purple dye is obtained from the flowering tops[4, 7, 13, 100], it is neither brilliant nor durable[115]. The plant repels ants[46]. The growing plant repels many insect pests so it is a good plant to grow in the vegetable area[201]. A useful ground cover for sunny positions, forming a slowly spreading clump[197, K]. Plants should be spaced about 30cm apart each way[208].

• Dye - Plants that provide dyes.
• Essential - Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
• Ground cover - Usually low growing plants that can be grown with other plants, especially shrubs and trees, to prevent the growth of weeds.
• Parasiticide - Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.
• Repellent - Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
• Strewing - Plants, usually aromatic, that are strewn on the floor to give a nice smell, repel insects etc.

Cultivars

'Aureum' - Often cultivated as a culinary herb, this is a low-growing form of O. vulgare with leaves that turn very yellow, especially in the spring and early summer[183, K]. It has a mild thyme-like oregano flavour and is much used in Mediterranean cooking[183]. It makes a good ground cover plant[183].
'Compactum' - A low growing variety, it can be used in all the ways the species is used[244].

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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