Leaf
Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Oregano
Origanum vulgare L.
Also known as: Wild marjoram
Family: Lamiaceae
30 to 60 cm
Dry calcareous banks, woodland edges, garrigue
Flowering: July – September
Full sun
Part shade
Very hardy, to -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The aromatic herb of Mediterranean cooking, growing wild on dry banks.
🍃 Leaves
Small, ovate, opposite, aromatic, often tinged with purple on the underside
🌸 Flowers
Small, pink-purple, in dense corymbs surrounded by purplish bracts
🍎 Fruits
Tiny achenes
🪵 Bark
Square herbaceous stem, slightly woody at the base
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, western Asia, North Africa; common in France on dry calcareous slopes
🐝 Value for pollinators
Pink flowers in corymbs very rich in nectar, extremely attractive to bees and butterflies in summer
✂️ Horticultural uses
Grown in aromatic borders and dry rock gardens, valued in the vegetable garden for its leaves
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity
🌿 Other Lamiaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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