Mexican oregano

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light afternoon shade in very hot climates.

Water

Low once established in the ground; water containers when the upper soil has dried.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil; tolerates moderately alkaline conditions but not persistent waterlogging.

Height

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)

Spread

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Flowers

Small white to cream flowers in clusters, mainly from summer into autumn; flowering can continue longer in frost-free climates.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, opposite, oval leaves with toothed edges, a slightly rough texture and a strong scent when rubbed.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm weather.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen
• Fragrant
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.3 ft (0.71 m)

3. After 2 years

   3 ft (0.93 m)

4. After 3 years

   4 ft (1.1 m)

5. After 5 years

   4 ft (1.4 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant outdoors after frost danger has passed, in a warm position with freely draining soil.
• Water deeply during establishment, then let the soil dry between waterings.
• Use a container with drainage holes and a free-draining potting mix where winters are cold or wet.
• Feed container plants lightly in spring; established plants in the ground usually need little fertiliser.
• Keep mulch away from the woody base and protect from frost; leaves may fall during cold or drought.
• Overwinter containers in a bright, frost-free place and water sparingly.

Pruning. In spring, once frost danger has passed and new growth is visible, remove dead stems and shorten leggy shoots to leafy growth. Pinch or lightly trim growing tips through summer to encourage branching.

Pick healthy leaves or snip leafy shoot tips once the plant is well established and producing strong new growth. Harvest through the warm growing season, leaving plenty of foliage to support regrowth. For storage, dry small bunches in an airy, shaded place until the leaves crumble, then store them whole in an airtight jar.

Spring

Remove dead growth once new shoots reveal which stems have survived winter.

Late spring

Plant out or move containers outdoors after frost danger has passed, acclimatising indoor plants gradually to direct sun.

Early summer

Pinch growing tips to build a bushy framework and begin light harvesting.

Summer

Harvest leafy shoots for drying and water containers when the upper soil dries.

Early autumn

Take semi-ripe cuttings while stems are still actively growing.

Late autumn

Move containers under cover before frost and reduce watering as growth slows.

• Plant beside rosemary and sage in a sunny culinary herb bed with sharp drainage.
• Use as an informal aromatic shrub in a warm courtyard, allowing room for its loose branching habit.
• Grow in a large container near an outdoor cooking area for convenient leaf picking.
• Include in a dry-climate edible border, where its small pale flowers provide a softer contrast to bold foliage.

Garden styles it suits: Mexican hacienda, Mediterranean, Desert / xeriscape, Edible landscape, Sensory garden and Potager (kitchen garden).

Plant it with: Rosemary, Common sage, Thyme, Lavender, Yarrow and Blanket flower.

Wildlife: The small flowers attract bees, butterflies and other nectar-feeding insects.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, avoid standing water and let container mix partly dry before watering again.
• Frost damage: grow in a movable container outside mild-winter regions; wait for spring growth before removing damaged stems.
• Spider mites in hot, dry indoor conditions: inspect leaf undersides, rinse foliage thoroughly and use insecticidal soap if needed, following the label.
• Whiteflies under cover: inspect new plants, remove heavily infested shoots and treat with a product labelled for edible herbs.

The leaves are used as a culinary herb and are not known to be toxic to people in normal food quantities. Reliable species-specific toxicity information for cats, dogs and horses is limited, so do not assume it is safe as animal feed. Concentrated essential oil is not equivalent to culinary leaves and should be kept away from children and pets.

• Mediterranean oregano (Origanum vulgare)

  A low, spreading herbaceous perennial with pink or purple flowers, rather than a taller woody shrub with small white flower clusters.

• Mexican bush oregano (Poliomintha longiflora)

  Also sold as Mexican oregano, but it has narrow leaves and conspicuous elongated pink to lavender tubular flowers.

• Cuban oregano (Coleus amboinicus)

  Has thick, fleshy, softly hairy leaves and succulent stems, unlike the thinner leaves and woody stems of Lippia graveolens.

Lippia honours the naturalist Augustin Lippi, while graveolens means strongly scented, referring to the aromatic foliage.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in late spring or semi-ripe cuttings in summer to early autumn, rooting them in a moist, free-draining medium with warmth and bright indirect light. Seed can also be used, but germination may be uneven.

Accepted botanical name

Lippia origanoides Lippia graveolens is an older name for Lippia origanoides.

Native range

Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Costa Rica and El Salvador.

Measured

Average height 230 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.