Sweet marjoram

Sun

Full sun; light afternoon shade is useful in very hot climates.

Water

Water young plants regularly until established, then let the soil surface dry between waterings. Avoid constantly wet soil, especially in winter.

Soil

Well-drained, light soil, preferably neutral to alkaline. Use a free-draining potting mix in containers.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Summer to early autumn; tiny white to pale pink flowers emerge from rounded, knot-like clusters of bracts.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, oval, softly hairy grey-green leaves with a warm, sweet herbal scent.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

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

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

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

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

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.1 ft (0.35 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.3 ft (0.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

About 3 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

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant out after frost risk has passed and the soil has warmed.
• Water at soil level and allow the surface to dry before watering again.
• Feed sparingly; give container plants an occasional dilute balanced feed during active growth.
• Keep mulch away from the crown and avoid moisture-retentive winter mulches.
• Move pots to a bright, frost-free place before cold weather; water sparingly over winter.

Pruning. Pinch out shoot tips regularly from late spring through summer to encourage branching. Shorten straggly stems in spring once new growth appears, cutting above leafy growth rather than into bare woody stems.

Pick leafy shoot tips once plants are established and producing plenty of new growth, leaving enough foliage for regrowth. For drying, cut stems just before the flowers open, preferably on a dry morning after the dew has cleared, and hang small bunches somewhere airy and shaded.

Early spring

Sow seed thinly indoors on the surface of seed compost, covering only very lightly; keep warm and bright.

Late spring

Harden off young plants and plant outside after the last frost.

Early summer

Pinch shoot tips and begin light harvesting once plants are growing strongly.

Summer

Harvest stems for drying before flowering; leave some flowers for visiting insects.

Autumn

Bring container plants indoors before frost, or take cuttings to overwinter under cover.

Winter

Keep overwintering plants bright, frost-free and barely moist.

• Edge a sunny herb bed or kitchen garden with its compact, grey-green foliage.
• Grow in pots beside a kitchen door where leaves are easy to pick.
• Combine with thyme, sage and lavender in a well-drained Mediterranean planting.
• Use in small herb-parterre compartments, clipping lightly to maintain a rounded outline.

Garden styles it suits: Mediterranean, Potager (kitchen garden), Herb parterre, Cottage garden, Sensory garden and Small-space.

Plant it with: Thyme, Sage, Lavender, Rosemary and Winter savory.

Wildlife: The small flowers provide nectar for bees and other pollinating insects; leave a few stems unharvested to flower.

• Root and crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage, avoid overwatering and discard badly affected plants.
• Aphids on soft shoots: rinse off with water or pinch out heavily infested tips.
• Spider mites on hot, dry indoor plants: check for fine webbing and stippled leaves, rinse foliage thoroughly and repeat as needed.
• Frost damage: grow as a seasonal herb in cold regions or move pots under frost-free cover before temperatures fall.

Listed as toxic to cats, dogs and horses; eating the foliage can cause vomiting or diarrhoea. The leaves are not known to be toxic to people in normal culinary quantities, but concentrated essential oil should not be treated as a food or given to pets.

• Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

  Usually has a stronger, sharper scent, greener leaves and more open clusters of pink-purple flowers; sweet marjoram has softer grey-green leaves and compact, knot-like flower clusters.

• Pot marjoram (Origanum onites)

  Generally more upright, with larger, firmer leaves and broad, flatter clusters of white flowers rather than sweet marjoram's small rounded knots.

The name Origanum comes from Greek words traditionally interpreted as 'joy of the mountain'.

Propagation. Sow seed indoors in spring or take softwood cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots in late spring or summer. Root cuttings in a free-draining medium under bright, indirect light.

Accepted botanical name

Origanum majorana

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Cyprus and Turkey.

Measured

Soil pH 7.5 to 8. Average height 40 cm.

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