No dedicated herb garden is complete without at least one Oregano variety. It is an integral ingredient for spice blends like Herbes de Provence and Za’atar and adds fresh flavor and depth to any Mediterranean dish. Oregano has a short blooming season in early summer and attracts all sorts of beneficial pollinators and predators to your kitchen garden, helping to both increase produce yields while also keeping common pests to manageable levels.
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Oregano grows best in nutrient-poor, well-draining soil and in full to partial sun. At least 6 hours of direct sunlight not only encourages heavy blooming, but it also increases the natural oils in the foliage and stems that make Oregano so tasty. Gardeners in any climate can easily grow Oregano in containers as a summer annual if the variety is not winter hardy in their location.
Oregano is an herbaceous perennial and dies back to the ground to spend the winter months in a state of dormancy. In areas with warm winters, it can be repeatedly cut back to produce tender new growth and more than one flowering cycle year-round.
Shrubs To Plant With Oregano
Other Mediterranean shrubs are natural companions for Oregano. In warm climates, lower-growing Oregano can be used as a ground cover under bottlebrush shrubs, Australian tea tree, pomegranates, and citrus trees. In colder climates, oregano can be paired with lavender, rosemary, dwarf conifers, and junipers for a relaxed, Southern France feel. These plants all grow well in full sun and average-to-poor soil, allowing for low-maintenance garden designs.
Perennials To Plant With Oregano
Oregano pairs easily with other herbaceous and woody perennials in a pollinator garden, rain garden, or cottage garden. Plant it with late-season bloomers like coneflower, yarrow, and agastache to create low-maintenance, waterwise beds or borders. Other perennial herbs can be used to add texture and short bursts of color in spring and summer, including thyme, culinary sage, and chives. These easy-going plants grow well in a wide range of soil conditions similar to Oregano.
Annuals To Plant With Oregano
Oregano in the kitchen garden performs triple duty as an edible plant, pollinator attractant, and pest deterrent. It has a great affinity for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and cruciferous plants. The scent of Oregano helps to repel beetles, cabbage moths, and other pest insects. The flowers and long stems look great alongside other edible flowers like calendula, cosmos, and nasturtium, and make a lovely addition to bouquets alongside bishop's flower, dahlias, and zinnia.
Best Companion Plants For Oregano in Containers
Oregano makes an interesting, and possibly, unexpected filler and spiller plant for mixed containers and larger hanging baskets. Purely ornamental varieties of Oregano are available with large, hop-like bracts in muted shades of pinks and purples. Pot these varieties with sun lovers like upright rosemary, coneflowers, zonal geraniums, and ornamental alliums for a long-lasting, colorful display.
Potted oregano will require more watering and fertilizing than garden-grown plants. Plan to check the moisture levels every day at the height of the growing season and after plants reach their mature size. Fertilize every 3 weeks to replenish the nutrients that are leached by regular watering.
Plants Not To Grow With Oregano
Mint family plants like Oregano can be aggressive growers when they are happy in their positions. Not only does Oregano spread by underground roots, but most varieties happily self-seed to other parts of your garden. Avoid planting Oregano near spreading ornamental grasses, which can lead to years of heavy weeding to keep each plant from overtaking the other.
Oregano will compete with cucurbits like cucumber, squashes, and zucchini for nutrients and moisture in the soil, making these plant combinations much more high-maintenance. Potatoes are also unsuitable companions, as Oregano prefers neutral to alkaline soil, which is unsuitable for growing potatoes. The tuber needs to grow in acidic soil to protect it from scab, a disease that restricts the overall growth and quality of the harvested roots.
Best Plants To Grow With Oregano
Plant oregano alongside other herbs and edible plants in a full-sun location where soil drainage is excellent. Edible flowers and veggies are natural companions for Oregano, but don't overlook an opportunity to grow it in containers and hanging baskets for an unexpected twist on a traditional mixed arrangement.
Sources: “Oregano.” The Herb Society of America - South Texas Unit. herbsociety-stu.org