In Search of The Real Oregano

When I first tried to grow my own culinary oregano I stumbled on an herbal mystery. I ordered seeds of Origanum vulgare, which the catalogs described as “true oregano”. The plants I grew from them had lovely purple spikes but they neither tasted nor smelled like the store bought dried oregano. After years of trying different seed sources and being disappointed, I decided to do some serious herbal detective work.

 

I discovered that there is a lot of confusion about Oregano and Marjoram, not only in how things are labeled at the nurseries, but among the experts as well. Lets start out with the fact that all marjoram’s are oregano’s, since the genus name for both is origanum, but not all oregano’s are marjoram’s. Certainly some of the overlapping comes from the fact that marjoram used to have its own genus. Now, oregano is the genus and marjoram, or sweet marjoram (Origanum majorano) is only one variety of over fifty types of oregano. Pot marjoram (Origanum onites) is another variety, but even this causes confusion, sometimes being called Cretan oregano because of its place of origin. The problem is that the oregano sold by most seed companies isn’t oregano at all. It’s wild marjoram, common oregano or a mixture of varieties. These plants often bear pretty pink flowers and purple bracts which are great for drying but are useless as a condiment.

I have found the best oregano for culinary use is Greek Oregano, Origanum vulgare hirtum. It gets whitish flowers in the summer and is considered a growing zone 5 plant. I keep mine going by bringing it indoors for winter and also by taking cuttings in the fall. I have found the correct seed at Territorial Seed Company and also at Richter’s Herbs. There are others but be sure the catalog specifies the subspecies hirtum.

 

You can start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost. Sprinkle in clusters on top of the growing medium and tamp them into the mix. Don’t cover the seed because they need light to germinate. Keep moist until germination. It takes 80-90 days to harvest. In our short growing season, you may prefer to start with an existing plant from a reliable source. Greek oregano grows best in light, rich, well drained soil and full son. A little fertilizer is good but don’t overdo it as the result will be larger but less tasty plants. Pinch off flowers as they develop to ensure an ongoing supply of leaves. In the fall, you can pot plants for indoor use in sandy, free draining soil. Water well and let the soil dry between waterings. Place in a sunny window as it needs at least 5 hours daily of direct sunlight. My plant did well under a florescent light for winter. Replant in the garden in the spring after danger of frost. 

Use leaves fresh or harvest leaves and stems for drying when flowers start to bloom as the flavor is at its peak at this time. Cut stems one inch from the ground, secure in bunches with a rubber band and hang in a dry shady location. Leaves are then easily stripped from the stems to store in an airtight container. The dried leaves are more intensely flavored than the fresh. I think herbs are such fun and the learning never ends!

By Northern Hills Master Gardener Sherry Corson,
written for a monthly column in the Black Hills Pioneer