Plant · P-582

Turkish Oregano

Origanum onites

Turkish Oregano, also sold as pot marjoram, is a compact Mediterranean perennial herb grown for a leaf used fresh or dried in dressings, vegetables, legumes and tea. It is a separate species from the common oregano and sweet marjoram sold under similar names, so cultural advice written for those two only approximately applies here. It thrives on hot, dry, stony limestone ground - what actually kills it is standing water and permanently damp soil, not heat. Left to flower rather than cut for the kitchen, it draws bees and forms a low, spreading aromatic mat, though harvesting for the best leaf means cutting it before that bloom happens.