Grow Your Own Oregano Plant

Oregano was one of the first plants I ever grew. And by "grew", I mean my mom scattered some seeds when she came to help after the birth of my second child, and I watched with tired eyes as the plants popped up and turned into small bushes without any assistance from me. That didn't stop me from feeling an immense sense of accomplishment when I took my first oregano harvest for pizza night.

Oregano, as you can probably already tell, requires very little tending and can handle some neglect. It actually prefers if you put that watering can down for a bit. It's super hardy and spreads quickly—so quickly it can even be used as ground cover. Overall, it's an excellent plant for beginner gardeners to grow.

This herb, with its slightly earthy flavor, has been a kitchen staple for thousands of years, and you've probably enjoyed it in many Italian-inspired dishes. If you plan to use oregano at all in your kitchen, it's easy enough to grow your own year-round supply. I'm serious. You'll never have to buy oregano from the store again.

Here's how to grow your own oregano plant and harvest enough leaves to last all year.

Is Oregano a Perennial?

Oregano is a perennial herb that will last for years in your kitchen garden. It's what we call a woody herb because the longer it grows, the more woody its stems become.

Will Oregano Survive Winter?

Oregano is hardy down to zone 4, which means it'll survive the winter in most climates. When I lived in Chicago (zone 5), my oregano plants would die back after the first hard freeze of winter and then return from the roots as soon as the weather warmed back up in the spring.

If you live in a warmer climate, oregano will be an evergreen that produces leaves for you all year, even during the heat of summer.

The Best Oregano Types to Grow

There are several different varieties of oregano to choose from.

My favorite oregano varieties to grow:

• Greek oregano - Greek is, hands down, my favorite variety. The leaves are large, and the plant holds up well in both heat and cold. In fact, my Greek oregano was the first plant to come back to life in my Chicago kitchen garden after our long and hard winters.
• Italian oregano - Italian oregano leaves are a little smaller than Greek, but the taste is still big.
• Hot and spicy oregano - This variety is, in fact, spicy. It reminds me of a taco seasoning that has a little extra cayenne in there, so if you love some heat, this is a fun variety to try—and certainly not one you'd be able to buy at the grocery store.
• Cuban oregano - Despite the name, Cuban oregano (pictured below) is not actually oregano. (You might see it called Mexican mint.) It grows large succulent-like leaves that have a velvety texture and a menthol-ish smell. Like regular oregano, the leaves can be used fresh or dried, but use them sparingly in dishes because of their strong scent. I prefer to grow this variety for the beauty of its leaves in a container. It's also super heat tolerant.
• Kent Beauty oregano - Like Cuban oregano, this is more of an ornamental variety. It makes a beautiful addition to the garden, as the name suggests. If you're looking for an herb that can be used to make decorative wreaths, I suggest Kent Beauty.

Oregano Growing Conditions

Thinking of where oregano originated (the Mediterranean) can tell you a lot about the conditions it prefers to grow in. Picture a Greek hillside. If words like "dry," "sunny," and "sandy" came to mind, you're on the right track. That's what we need to recreate for our oregano plants.

Season

Oregano thrives in warm weather. Plant oregano in your garden at least 6 to 8 weeks before you expect really hot or really cold temps so that your plants have time to get established first. Late spring or early summer is typically a great time to get your oregano plants started in the garden.

Soil

Oregano grows best in sandy soil that drains well. This herb really doesn't like having its roots stay wet for too long, so amend your soil with some coarse sand from the construction section of the hardware store (not play sand).

Sun

Oregano will grow with as little as 4 to 6 hours of sun, but you'll get way more leaves if you give it full sun.

Where to Grow Oregano

Make sure to plant oregano somewhere you'd like it to stay long term. It can grow in the ground, in a raised bed, or in a container. If you plan to grow oregano in a raised bed or container alongside vegetables that like to be watered more often, plant oregano on the very edge, which tends to dry out faster than the middle.

Since oregano is such a beautiful draping herb, I like to plant it in the corners or along the edges of my raised beds so the long stems can trail over the sides. Give each oregano plant about 12" of space.

What I recommend doing is planting oregano and other perennial herbs like thyme and rosemary mixed with seasonal flowers around the entire border of your raised beds. This provides a protective barrier against pests (and, of course, color all season long).

How to Grow Rosemary in a Container Garden

Oregano can be kept small and manageable if you give it a little bit of space in a container, or it can really spread out. I recommend planting oregano alongside other Lamiacaea herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme in a large container at least 12 inches in diameter. These herbs love growing together.

You can also, of course, grow oregano on its own, but give it a pot at least 6 inches deep and make sure there's at least one good drainage hole in the bottom. Before you fill your container, put weed barrier cloth or burlap in the bottom to keep the soil from leaving the container every time you water. Fill your container with a mix of potting soil, coarse sand, and compost.

Learn more about setting up an herb garden.

The Best Oregano Companion Plants

Oregano makes a wonderful companion to so many things you might want to grow in a vegetable garden. Its strong fragrance can actually repel pests like mosquitos, aphids, and cabbage worms. Try planting it near leafy greens like kale, arugula, cabbage, and lettuce.

If you let your oregano flower, it'll also attract tons of beneficial insects like bees and butterflies to your garden.

How to Get Started Growing Oregano

There are three ways you can end up with an oregano plant: sow oregano seeds, buy an oregano plant, or root an oregano cutting. Let's look at each one.

Sow Oregano Seeds

Oregano is slow to grow from seed, so this is not the best method if you're approaching spring or summer and want to take lots of herb harvests before winter.

You can direct sow oregano seeds in your garden as soon as your soil can be worked in the spring, just like my mom did all these years ago. Or you can start oregano seeds indoors under grow lights as early as 10 to 12 weeks before planting them outdoors.

Oregano seeds are super tiny. You don't want to bury them at all—just press them gently into the soil so they have good contact. Make sure to keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout.

Buy an Oregano Plant

Because oregano can last for years in your garden, I think it's well worth your money to buy a little oregano plant from your local nursery. It's the fastest and easiest way to get started, and you'll absolutely get your money's worth after just a couple of harvests.

Root Oregano Cuttings

Oregano is easily propagated as a cutting from another healthy, established plant. You can root cuttings in water, soil, or sand.

Oregano Plant Care

Oregano is a low-maintenance and prolific herb. In other words, it's pretty hard to kill. It's drought-tolerant once it's established in your garden (think of that dry Greek hillside). It really just needs a minimum of care and attention.

How to Prune Oregano

Oregano is so prolific that your main task will be keeping it in check. Begin pruning the leaves regularly once your plant is about 4 inches tall. (And, obviously, enjoy these leaves that you prune.) With a plant like oregano, the more you prune, the more it'll grow! Make sure to prune any damaged or discolored leaves.

Don't be afraid to prune oregano heavily by cutting the base of the stems to keep oregano from growing toward the interior of your container or raised bed. Pruning this way (cutting older stems all the way down at their base, instead of cutting the tips of the plant) is also how you keep oregano from getting too woody. Work your way around the entire plant. This type of pruning is great to do every few weeks, especially during the warmest months when your plant is growing fastest.

If your plant has spread out too much, use a spade or hori hori knife to divide it. Now you have a new oregano plant to grow elsewhere!

How to Water Oregano

The best way to make oregano feel like it's at home in your garden is to water less. Generally, a little water once a week is all you need to keep your plant thriving. You're far more likely to overwater this herb than underwater. Unless you see oregano leaves shriveling or turning brown, your plants are watered.

If you're growing your oregano on the edge of a raised bed or container, the herb will receive enough water as you care for your other kitchen garden plants. The soil dries out faster on the edges, which gives your oregano less time to sit in too much water. If you're growing your oregano in a pot, soak the soil until you see water run out through the drainage hole. Then allow the soil to dry out before you water again.

When you do water oregano, focus on the base of the plant and avoid getting water on the leaves.

A sure sign that you've overwatered your oregano is when you see the leaves begin to turn yellow or appear less crisp than normal. The goal is bright green leaves that hold their form even in the middle of the summer heat. Let the leaves tell you when your oregano needs water, and you'll be well on your way to herb garden success.

How to Fertilize Oregano

Perennial herbs set up in good soil don't really need much to keep them happy. I just add some compost and earthworm castings around my herbs every couple of months. If you feel like your oregano needs a little boost, you could add an organic fertilizer high in nitrogen as you're watering or by spritzing the leaves.

How to Protect Oregano from Pests

Thanks to its strong scent, oregano isn't prone to pest problems. It can, however, get spider mites in hot, dry weather. If you see little spots on the leaves or notice webbing around the stems, give your plant a good spray with a mix of liquid castile soap and water. Also, keep the soil clear of dead leaves and debris, where pests can hide. That's just good practice for your garden overall.

What to Do When Oregano Flowers

During the hottest parts of the year, oregano will start to produce purplish white flower spikes. This is a signal to you that the plant is under a little bit of stress or that it's just ready to produce seed and stop producing leaves for the rest of the season.

To keep your oregano production going as long as possible, pinch back the first flower buds and then water your plant deeply. This is also a good time to prune a few of the branches from the outside and lower parts of the plant. By pinching the flowers and cutting back some of the longer oregano branches, you'll encourage more leaf production and hopefully slow the seed production process.

After that, you can let your plants flower (the pollinators will thank you!). You can even collect the dried flower heads if you'd like to save seeds to plant next year.

Are oregano flowers edible?

The flowers are not only safe to eat, they actually taste a lot like the leaves. You can toss them into your next pasta dish, use them as a garnish, or steep them to make tea. Oregano flowers are one thing you're likely never to experience if you only get your leaves from those little plastic packages at the store.

How to Harvest Oregano

If you grew oregano from seed, you can begin harvesting after about 75 days. Harvest oregano sprigs weekly to encourage your herb to keep producing leaves for you. Make sure you use a clean pair of pruners or scissors.

There are two ways to harvest oregano. One, you can cut the tips off the plants just above a leaf node. This will create a bushier plant because the spot where you harvest will split into two new side branches.

The other way to harvest is to go to the base of the plant and cut the outer, lower branches. This will thin the plant and encourage it to grow longer and more vine-like rather than bushy.

Both methods work, but the key is to not stop harvesting. I usually try to cut from my plants once a week or so, especially during the height of the summer. This is when the flavor of the leaves will be most intense, so it's the best time to harvest lots of leaves for drying. Drying oregano increases the flavor and allows you to save leaves for winter when you've harvested more than you can possibly use fresh.

How to Dry & Enjoy Oregano Leaves

Enjoy as many leaves fresh as possible, and then dry the rest. Drying and storing oregano extends the time you can enjoy it to the entire year. To dry oregano, tie some sprigs together like you're making a little herb bouquet. Hang the sprigs upside down somewhere cool, dry, and dark.

Allow the leaves to completely dry before storing them. Run your fingers along the stem to remove the leaves and store them in a jar or airtight container.

We love using fresh oregano atop homemade pizzas, spaghetti sauce, or fresh tacos.

Dried oregano is great to add to salt blends or an all-spice seasoning you can create with a variety of herbs.

And if you run out of uses, share your oregano with neighbors and friends. There's no better gift to give than one you grew yourself!

What Is Oregano Used for?

Oregano has been used for thousands of years to add an earthy flavor to dishes. In fact, you might think of oregano as the "pizza herb" thanks to its prominence in Italian and other Mediterranean cuisines.

But did you know oregano oil has also been used to treat health conditions for just as long as it's been cultivated? Oregano oil, which is extracted from the leaves of the plant, has featured in many folk medicines over the centuries for things like treating colds or fighting infections.

Herbs like oregano provide antioxidants that eliminate free radicals in our body and have many other beneficial health effects. Oregano specifically has vitamins A, K, C, E, and B vitamins, plus folate, magnesium, and iron.

Oregano acts as a natural expectorant, so a simple way to use up your oregano outside of cooking is to brew your own soothing oregano tea the next time you have a sore throat or cough. Dr. Laura Christine, a Gardenary-certified garden coach and naturopath, recommends making an oregano tincture for when you're sick.

How to Make Oregano Tea

You can use fresh or dried leaves (and flowers, if you have them). Just steep a sprig of fresh leaves or a teaspoon of dry leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, strain the leaves, and serve with honey for flavor.

How to Make an Oregano Tincture

Dr. Laura says to mix dried leaves with EVOO (she recommends using a high-quality oil with olives from only one source) in a jar. Keep the jar by a window and shake it once a day. After 3 to 4 weeks, strain the leaves out. This tincture can be taken orally with hot water when sick or used to treat minor burns and wounds.

Oregano Growing FAQs

Does Oregano like sun or shade?

Oregano grows best in full sun. This herb needs more sun that its cousins in the Lamiaceae family like sage and mint.

Can you grow oregano indoors?

You can grow oregano indoors next to a sunny window (try to avoid placement under an AC vent). If you don't have well-lit spot, supplement with grow lights.

Can you grow oregano in containers?

Oregano does well in containers, making it the perfect herb for those who live in apartments or have small outdoor spaces.

Time to Grow Your Own Oregano!

Growing oregano in the right conditions is going to mean one thing: loads and loads of oregano. Make sure to harvest often and dry half of your stems so that you have enough organic oregano to not just supply your own kitchen but to feed the whole neighborhood!

Oregano is an excellent plant for gardeners of all levels. Gardening is a skill that can be learned, and herbs are great teachers to help you grow your knowledge before you move on to more difficult plants. The best part is that while you're learning, you're adding a bit more flavor to your life (and your tomato sauces)!