Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhausen'
   
Tried and True Recommended by 6 Professionals
Common Name: ornamental oregano
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Lamiaceae
Zone: 5 to 9
Garden Location: Spoehrer Children's Garden, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Flower Borders
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Spread: 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Description: Purple / pink
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flowers: Showy Flowers
Leaves: Fragrant
Tolerates: Dry Soil, Shallow, Rocky Soil, Drought, Deer, Rabbits
Uses: Erosion Control, Suitable as Annual, Will Naturalize

Culture

Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun. Good heat and drought tolerance. May not be reliably winter hardy throughout USDA Zone 5.

Noteworthy Characteristics

This cultivar is grown primarily for its attractive foliage and flowers. A rhizomatous, upright to sprawling, woody-based subshrub which typically grows 12-18" tall and spreads to 24" wide, but dies to the ground in cold winters. Stems root at the notes as they go along the ground. Features aromatic, oval, green to reddish-purple leaves (to 1" long) on contrasting red stems. Leaves deepen in color as the summer progresses, with the best purple colors usually occurring in cool climates. Tiny, deep rose-violet flowers with reddish-purple bracts appear in dense, terminal or axillary spikes in summer.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Root rot can be a problem, particularly in wet, poorly drained soils.

Garden Uses

Best massed in border fronts, herb gardens or rock gardens. May also be effective as an edging plant.