Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous PerennialHerbs - Culinary

Origanum onites

pot marjoram

A small, mound-forming, semi-evergreen subshrub, to 60cm tall, with bright green, aromatic leaves. Produces small, white flowers with green bracts in dense whorls in late summer; popular herb for Mediterranean dishes

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
8 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Lamiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Semi evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Origanum may be herbaceous perennials or deciduous or evergreen sub-shrubs, with aromatic foliage and spikes of small tubular flowers usually with conspicuous bracts
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Mediterranean

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil in a sheltered, sunny position. In colder areas, may need protection from very low temperatures and excess winter wet. Also suitable for growing in containers that can be overwintered in an unheated greenhouse. See oregano cultivation for further advice See https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/trials-awards for further information about RHS plant trials and awards

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by division in the autumn or spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Wildlife gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Wildflower meadow
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back old, flowered stems in early spring

Pests

May be susceptible to leafhoppers

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.