Amethyst Falls Oregano

Amethyst Falls Oregano

By Jutta Thoerner   UCCE Master Gardener

Origanum Amethyst

Planting zone:  5-9

Size: 15” tall to 18” wide

Bloom: Lavender-pink flowers and chartreuse bracts cascade out and downwards. Blooms for one month or longer from late spring to midsummer.

Exposure: Sun or light shade.

Pruning needs: Dead head flower stalks after bloom and cut back in winter.

Water needs: Low water.

Snapshot:   If you are looking fora tough, perennial oregano that produces a mass of flowers, invest in this plant. Because it blooms into mid-summer, beneficial insects flock to it. The foliage is a bonus; lush with interesting “hop-like” pale-green bracts that contrast with the flowers.  It thrives even in poor soil and prefers full sun and well-draining soil. This plant is listed as deer and rabbit resistant. Works well in a container, as a small-scale ground cover or spilling over a rock wall. It will wow you with its flowers and the leaves can be used in cooking.