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Habitats
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Ground Cover; Meadow; Cultivated Beds;
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Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Leaves.
Edible Uses: Condiment; Tea.
Leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb[5, 52, 183]. Oregano is an important flavouring herb in Mediterranean cookery, and is often used dried rather than fresh[238]. The leaves are used as a flavouring for salad dressings, vegetables and legumes, and are frequently included in strongly flavoured dishes with chillies, garlic, onions etc[2, 13, 21, 27, 183, 238]. A nutritional analysis is available[218]. Much of the commercially available dried oregano does not come from this plant but from a number of different, often unrelated plants[238]. These include Lippia graveolens, L. palmeri and Origanum syriacum[238]. A herb tea is made from the dried leaves and flowering stems[183, 207, 238].
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Composition
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Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.
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Leaves (Dry weight)
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- 306 Calories per 100g
- Water : 7.2%
- Protein: 11g; Fat: 10.2g; Carbohydrate: 64.4g; Fibre: 15g; Ash: 7.2g;
- Minerals - Calcium: 1576mg; Phosphorus: 200mg; Iron: 44mg; Magnesium: 270mg; Sodium: 15mg; Potassium: 1669mg; Zinc: 4.4mg;
- Vitamins - A: 6903mg; Thiamine (B1): 0.34mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0mg; Niacin: 6.2mg; B6: 0mg; C: 0mg;
- Reference: [ 218]
- Notes:
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Medicinal Uses
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Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antirheumatic; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic; Aromatherapy; Carminative; Cholagogue; Diaphoretic; Emmenagogue; Expectorant; Odontalgic; Parasiticide;
Stimulant; Stomachic; Tonic.
Oregano has been used as a culinary and medicinal herb for thousands of years. It has a beneficial effect upon the digestive and respiratory systems and is also used to promote menstruation[254]. It should not be used medicinally by pregnant women though it is perfectly safe in small amounts for culinary purposes[254]. The leaves and flowering stems are strongly antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and mildly tonic[4, 7, 9, 21, 254]. The plant is taken internally in the treatment of colds, influenza, mild feverish illnesses, indigestion, stomach upsets and painful menstruation[238]. It is strongly sedative and should not be taken in large doses, though mild teas have a soothing effect and aid restful sleep[244]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[238]. Externally, oregano is used to treat bronchitis, asthma, arthritis and muscular pain[238]. The plant can be used fresh or dried - harvest the whole plant (but not the roots) in late summer to dry and store for winter use[244]. Oregano is often used in the form of an essential oil that is distilled from the flowering plant[4]. A few drops of the essential oil, put on cotton wool and placed in the hollow of an aching tooth, frequently relieves the pain of toothache[4, 207]. This plant is one of the best natural antiseptics because of its high thymol content[7]. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy to treat the same kinds of complaints that the herb is used for[238].
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Other Uses
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Dye; Essential; Parasiticide; Repellent; Strewing.
An essential oil from the plant is used as a food flavouring, in soaps and perfumery[115, 171]. The herb contains 0.15 - 0.4% essential oil[218] and makes good herbal pillows and baths[244]. The plant was formerly used as a strewing herb[201]. The essential oil has also been used to kill lice, though some caution is advised since it can cause skin irritations[238]. A red or purple dye is obtained from the flowering tops[4, 7, 13, 100], it is neither brilliant nor durable[115]. The plant repels ants[46]. The growing plant repels many insect pests so it is a good plant to grow in the vegetable area[201]. A useful ground cover for sunny positions, forming a slowly spreading clump[197, K]. Plants should be spaced about 30cm apart each way[208].
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Cultivation details
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Requires a rather dry, warm, well-drained soil in full sun, but is not fussy as to soil type, thriving on chalk[1, 27]. Prefers slightly alkaline conditions[200]. Tolerates poor soils[24]. Dislikes wet soils[37]. Hardy to about -20°c[187]. Oregano has a long history of culinary and medicinal use and is often cultivated in modern gardens as a culinary herb, there are some named varieties[183, 187, 238, 244]. Plants growing near the sea have the most fragrance[7]. A good companion plant, improving the flavour of nearby plants[201]. The flowers are very attractive to bees and butterflies[5, 30]. A good companion for the cucumber family[14], it is beneficial to all nearby plants[20]. The whole plant has a sweet yet slightly peppery aroma[245]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].
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Propagation
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Seed - sow early spring at 10 - 13°c and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring. Division in March or October. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Basal cuttings of young barren shoots in June. Very easy. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
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 You can download this page as a PDF
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Botanical References
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17200
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Links / References
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[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
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[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
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Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
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Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
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[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
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Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
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[5]Mabey. R. Food for Free.
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Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.
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[7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.
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Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
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[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.
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Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
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[13]Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants.
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Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
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[14]Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs.
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A good herbal.
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[17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.
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A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
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[20]Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening.
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Fairly good.
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[21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
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Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
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[24]Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.
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Fairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.
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[27]Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden.
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A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.
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[30]Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe.
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An excellent book on Lepidoptera, it also lists their favourite food plants.
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[37]Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant.
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Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
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[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.
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An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
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[52]Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round.
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A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.
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[100]Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide.
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An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.
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[115]Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
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Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.
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[171]Hill. A. F. Economic Botany.
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Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
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[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
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Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
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[187]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2.
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Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
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[197]Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants.
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A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.
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[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
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Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
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[201]Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting.
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A well produced and very readable book.
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[207]Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers.
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A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.
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[208]Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover
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An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.
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[218]Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China
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Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
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[233]Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
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A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
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[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
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A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
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[244]Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs
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Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
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[245]Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World.
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An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
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[254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
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An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
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Subject : Origanum vulgare
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