Origanum Vulgare

Mountain Mint
 

There are 20 species of perennials and subshrubs in this genus, which is distributed through Eurasia, with various species found in S Europe, Crete, and N Africa. Most are grown as ornamentals for their attractive, aromatic foliage and purple-pink to white flowers, which in certain species are surrounded by conspicuous bracts. They vary in habit and cultural requirements. Some are bushy perennials suitable for border; others are arching to prostrate subshrubs, which are best grown on an elevation or in containers. All dislike winter wet and poor air circulation; Origanum dictamnus is especially sensative, and in areas with wet winters is usually grown in the alpine house. Marjorams are mainly used as culinary herbs, but are rich in flavonoids and volatile oils, notably carvacol and thymol, which have medicinal applications. Origanum dictamnus was a revered herb in ancient times as is mentioned in many Classical texts as a miraculous healing herb and ingredient of Mithridates’ antidote to poisons. Theophrastus (370-285BCE) wrote, in his Enquiry into Plants, the O. dictamnus “is marvelous in virtue and is useful for many purposes, but especially for women in childbirth”. It is no longer widely used medicinally, perhaps because it is rare in the wild and not as easy to cultivate as most other origanums. Wild plants are protected but there are commercial plantations in Crete, and dittany tea remains popular on the island, especially after meals. Origanum vulgare is extremely variable in both appearance and chemical composition. In addition, plants in warm dry regions have a more pungent flavor than those that grow in cooler northern parts. To complicate the picture, O. vulgare hybridizes readily in cultivation, giving rise to plants that often cause confusion over identification and naming. According to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, hybrids between O. majorana and O. vulgare must be called O. x majoricum. However they are often incorrectly given as O. x applii. Confusion also occurs over the name O. heracleoticum L. is a synonym of O. vulgare subsp. viride It should also be noted that the common name “winter marjoram” is applied to O. onites in the USA and to O. vulgare subsp. hirtum in the UK. Overall, O. vulgare contains a higher portion of thymol than O. majorana, which gives it a more thyme-like aroma. Although several species of Origanum are known as “Oregano”, commercial dried oregano is produced from several different, unrelated plants. Sources include Lippia graveolens (See, Mexican Oregano) and L. palmeri, O. vulgare subsp. hirtum (winter marjorum) from Greece and Turkey, and the Middle Eastern O. syriacum, as well as from O. vulgare itself. Much commercial oregano oil is from conehead thyme (Thymus capitatus, See, Conehead Thyme). The Arabic word for oregano is za’ater. This team is also used for a spice mixture containing the ground berries of sumach (Rhus coriaria), roasted sesame seeds, salt, and za’ater leaves of some kind, which may be from O. syriacum, Satureja thymbra, Thymbra spicata, or Thymus captiatus. Za’ater is often mixed with olive oil and spread on bread. The word origanum comes from the Greek origanon, meaning “Bitter Herb”.

Traditionally a symbol of happiness, oregano takes its name from the Greek words oros, meaning “mountain”, and ganos, meaning “joy”, a reference to the spectacular sight of its purplish red flowers splashed across the Mediterranean hillsides. Oregano has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, which is why it is sometimes used as an internal treatment for respiratory and intestinal disorders and as a topical treatment for infection.

Variable, bushy, rhizomatous perennial with woody-based, upright to spreading, purple-brown stems, and broadly ovate leaves, to 4cm (1½in) long. Purple-pink (occasionally pink or white) flowers appear in loose panicles in summer.

Common Name:
Mountain Mint
Other Names:
Oregano, Origano, Wild Marjoram, Winter Marjoram, Wintersweet
Botanical Name:
Origanum vulgare
Genus:
Origanum
Family:
Lamiaceae
Cultivation:
Well-drained to dry, neutral to alkaline soil in sun. Origanum dictamnus needs sharp drainage and protection from wet winters. Orgianum majorana, O. x majoricum, and O. onites may be slightly hardier in a sheltered, sharply drained situation.
Propagation:
By seed sown in autumn or at 10-13°C (50-55°F) in spring (species only); by basal cuttings in late spring; by division in spring.
Harvest:
Plants are collected as flowering begins, and leaves during the growing season, and sued fresh, distilled for oil, or dried for infusions.
Native Location:
Europe
Height:
30-90cm (12-36in)
Width:
30-90cm (12-36in)
Variations:
 

Acorn Bank
Has distinctly pointed leaves, 2.5cm (1in) long, with inward curling margins, and white flowers (creamy pink in bud) with pink stamens.
Height: 50cm (20in)
Width: 50cm (20in)
Var. album
Is small and bushy with light green leaves and white flowers.
Height: 25cm (10in)
Width: 25cm (10in)
Aureum
Golden marjorum
Has small, bright yellow-green leaves and lavender-pink flowers.
Height: 75cm (30in)
Width: 30cm (12in)
Aureum Crispum
Has rounded, wrinkled, yellow-green leaves, to 1cm (½in) long that are at their best in spring. Scorches in full sun and is less vigorous and more tender than ‘Aureum’.
Height: 30cm (12in)
Width: 45cm (18in)
Compactum
Compact Marjoram
Is dwarf and mound-forming, with rounded, dark green leaves, to 2cm (¾in) long, and numerous, pink-violet flowers.
Height: 15cm (6in)
Width: 30cm (12in)
Country Cream
Has white-variegated leaves and pink flowers.
Height: 30cm (12in)
Width: 30cm (12in)
Gold Tip
syn. Variegatum
Has yellow-tipped leaves, brightest in spring.
Height: 40cm (16in)
Width: 45cm (18in)
Subsp. gracile
syn. O.tyttanthum
Russian/Turkestan/Kyrgyz Oregano
Has a slender habit, non-hairy stems, and smooth, gland-dotted leaves that have an excellent, mild flavor.
Native Location: C Asia
Subsp. Hirtum
syn. O. heracleoticum
(oregano, winter marjoram)
Is compact, with pungently scented, hairy, pointed leaves, hairy green, somtimes purple-tinged bracts, and white flowers from late spring to winter.
Native Location: E Mediterranean
Height: 30-70cm (12-28in)
Width: 20-45cm (8-18in)
Subsp. hirtum ‘Greek’
Has bright green leaves and white flowers; excellent culinary herb, often dried as oregano.
Height: 45-60cm (18-24in)
Nanum
Is smaller all around than ‘Compactum’.
Height: 20cm (8in)
Width: 25cm (10in)
Polyphant
Is a white-variegated, white-flowered cultivar, found as a sport of ‘Aureum Crispum’ at the Polyphant Herb Nursery, Cornwall, UK in the 1980s. Scorches in full sun.
Height: 30cm (12in)
Width: 30cm (12in)
Thumble’s Variety
Is strong-growing, with mild-flavored, rounded , yellow-green leaves and white flowers.
Height: 30cm (12in)
Width: 30cm (12in)
Subsp. viride
Usually has yellow-green bracts and white flowers.
White Anniversary
Has bright green, white-margined leaves.
Height: 20cm (8in)
Width: 15-20cm (6-8in)

 

Hardiness:
Z5-9
History:
Most prized as a spice—especially in Greek, Italian, and Mexican cuisines—oregano, also called wild marjoram, has been a culinary herb for less than 200 years. Before that it was used almost exclusively as a healing herbs. The ancient Greeks named it “joy of the mountain”, for the Greek word oros (“mountain”) and ganos (“joy”) because it grew wild in that country’s mountains. Both the Greeks and Romans used oregano internally for convulsions, poisoning, and dropsy, and applied it externally, in poultices, to treat burns, insect bites, muscle pains, and sores. The early Anglo-Saxons used oregano for coughs and headaches, and by the Middle Ages, oregano tea was a popular remedy for chest congestion, melancholy, and the plague. Oregano was also much associated with myth and magic. The dried herb was strewn in homes, on doorsteps, and around graves to ward off demons and witches. (And it was sprinkled on clothes and bedding to repel insects.) For the Greeks and Romans, the herb symbolized love, and it was worn in bridal wreaths and made into love potions. It was a favorite herb of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses, who protected married and pregnant women, and she was often shown wearing a wreath of dittany, a wild oregano that grew on Crete.
Parts Used:
Whole Plant, Leaves, Oil
Properties:
A pungently aromatic, antiseptic, warming herb that relaxes spasms, increases perspiration, benefits the digestion, stimulates the uterus, and acts as a mild expectorant.
Medicinal Uses:
Internally for colds, influenza, minor feverish illnesses, indigestion, gas, stomach upsets, and painful menstruation. Contraindicated during pregnancy. Externally for bronchitis, asthma, arthritis, and muscular pain. Oil used in aromatherapy for similar conditions and, externally, to kill lice; it may cause skin irritation.
To treat respiratory disorders, painful menstruation, rheumatoid arthritis, urinary tract disorders and cough.
Oregano has antiflatulence, andtiseptic, antispasmodic, calming, expectorant, stomach-soothing, sweat-promoting, and tonic properties. IT is taken internally for anxiety, colic, coughs, headaches, indigestion, menstrual cramps, and menstrual irregularities, nausea, stress and tension, upper respiratory ailments, and upset stomach. Oregano is applied externally for joint and muscle pain and stiffness.
Preparation:
Oregano is available as fresh and dried herb and in teas and tinctures. To make a tea, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of dried herb and steep for 10 minutes. Strain, and drink up to 2 cups a day.
Typical Dose:
A typical dose of oregano is approximately 1 heaping tsp of dried herb mixed with 250 ml boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes, strained and taken as a tea.
Possible Side Effects:
Oregano’s side effects include nausea, vomiting, and allergic reations.
Drug Interactions:

Taking oregano with these drugs may interfere with the absorption of the drug:
Ferrous Sulfate, (Feratab, Fer-Iron)
Iron-Dextran Complex, (Dexferrum, INFeD)

 

Disease Effects:
May trigger reactions in those allergic to Basil, Lavender, and other members of the Lamiaceae family.
Culinary Uses:
An important herb in Italian, Greek, and Mexican cooking, often used dried rather than fresh, in strongly flavored dishes in which ingredients such as chili, garlic, tomatoes, onions, olives, and wine predominate. Leaves and flowering tops are infused for tea.
Economic Uses:
Oil is used in commercial food flavoring, toiletries, and men’s perfumes. Leaves and flowers are added to potpourris.
Bibliography:
Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown. Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited. pp 295-297
The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide by Geo. T. Grossberg,MD and Barry Fox,PhD Copyright©2007 Barry Fox,PhD. Pg.358
The Modern Herbal Primer by Nancy Burke Copyright©2000 Yankee Publishing, Inc. pp. 85-86