Origanum Norton Gold - Oregano

The 'Norton Gold' Golden Oregano is a fairly recent hybrid that forms a very pretty cushion. It is adorned with one of the most beautiful golden foliage ever observed in oregano and is adorned with delicate pink flowers in summer. It is a small perennial bushy plant that is hardy in well-drained, rather poor soil. Very beautiful when accompanied by boxwood or plants with dark green foliage.

Origanum 'Norton Gold' is a horticultural creation, a cross between Origanum laevigatum and O. vulgare 'Aureum'. It is a plant of the mint family, just like thymes and mints. It is a woody-based perennial that generally develops into a rounded and spreading mound. The mature plant measures up to 35-40cm (14-16in) in height and 50-60cm (20-24in) in spread. The stems can root at the nodes as they touch the ground. The small 1.5cm (1in) long leaves are ovate, shiny, golden, and sometimes slightly coppery in full sun. They often show a bluish hue. In summer, the foliage tends to become chartreuse green. The summer flowering is long-lasting, renewing itself for several weeks between June and September depending on the region. From the foliage emerge branched floral stems bearing tiny pendulous pink flowers with two lips. The foliage is aromatic, but it is usually not used for culinary purposes. It is mostly deciduous, absent in winter.

This 'Norton Gold' oregano is planted in ordinary to poor, even dry, well-drained soil in full sun. Their Mediterranean origins make oreganos champions of drought tolerance. They are excellent plants that are highly appreciated in the border of flower beds due to their good performance. In rock gardens or above walls, they naturally blend with other plants of the scrubland: thymes, lavenders, rockroses, rosemary. It can also be planted in a large container or trough, alone or accompanied by Lobelias and Nemesias, for example.