Oregano - Perennial Marjoram - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

Origano or Oreganum is a perennial aromatic plant, perfectly hardy, which is one of the traditional Herbes de Provence. It is a classic of Mediterranean cuisine, especially Italian, and is irreplaceable for flavouring pizzas. Sowing from March to May.

Native to Western and Southern Europe, where it is found in the wild, Origanum vulgare is a perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. It forms a fragrant clump about 50 cm (20in) tall and wide. Its deciduous foliage is composed of round to ovate, dark green leaves. Origanum blooms from June to September with pretty pink flowers that can be more or less purple. It is hardy down to about -17°C (1.4°F).

Origanum is a robust and easy-to-grow herb. It thrives in full sun and prefers poor, light, even rocky, and well-draining soils. It is not bothered by limestone. If your soil is rather moist and clayey, we recommend growing it in a pot or on a small mound where it will do very well.

It should be noted that Origanum is also known as Wild Marjoram or Red Tea, which often leads to confusion with its cousin, Garden Marjoram or Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana), which is less hardy and has a different fragrance.

Harvest: Origanum is harvested from May to October by cutting the stems with scissors.

Storage: Origanum is traditionally preserved by drying. This is a simple and quick operation that you can replace with freezing if it seems more convenient to you.

Gardener's tip: In the garden, don't hesitate to mix styles by planting some herbs like Oregano in the middle of your perennial borders or even in rockeries. It is very beautiful, and the sometimes strong fragrances of aromatic plants often have the ability to repel insects that may attack more delicate plants, such as certain roses.