We’ve all heard of oregano, but did you know that in addition to the familiar culinary varieties (like Origanum vulgare, Greek oregano, or O. majoranam, sweet marjoram ), there are several that are primarily ornamental? Drought-tolerant and heat-tolerant, and native to rocky hillsides, they are an ideal choice for a Mediterranean garden.
On a slope or in a container, my favorite varieties are the varieties with overlapping bracts that look like hops ‘Barbara Tingey’, an Origanum rotundifolium, is a great example. They have silvery veins in rounded blue-green leaves! I have also planted ‘Kent Beauty’, Paula’s Pink’, and ‘Kirigimi’.
The first ornamental oregano I tried is one of the oldest: ‘Dittany of Crete’, or Origanum dictamnus. It has fuzzy gray-green leaves.
At least one ornamental oregano in my garden is an O. larvigatim; I planted ‘Herrenhausen’ with spikes of flowers above a mat of small, dark, green leaves. O. laevigatum ‘Hopley’s’ and ‘Rosenkuppel’ are also popular. They are in the mint family, and they have spread through other areas of my garden , and now I’m trying to figure out what these runaways are!
Origanum (Ornamental Oregano) | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources https://share.google/CJZpxyGjoZQxYYK5K
7 Types of Oregano for Herb and Ornamental Gardens https://mymediterraneangarden.com/types-of-origanum/
Origanum Beauty of the Mountains https://pacifichorticulture.org/articles/ioriganumi-beauty-of-the-mountains/