Pot Marjoram
Origanum onites
Family: Lamiaceae or Labiatae
What it is like
Origanum onites is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Stony hills and rocky slopes, usually on limestone, occasionally in partial shade, to 1400 metres in Turkey.
Europe - Mediterranean
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Leaves - raw or cooked. They are used as a flavouring for salad dressings, vegetables and legumes and are best added in the final stages of cooking. A strong thyme-like aroma, the leaves are used as a substitute for oregano or marjoram, but they are inferior in flavour. A slightly bitter flavour, it is not nearly so sweet and delicate as O. majorana or O. vulgare. Its flavour, however, lasts longer in cooked dishes. A herb tea is made from the leaves.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The leaves and flowering stems are antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and mildly tonic. They are harvested in the summer and can be used fresh or dried.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Cholagogue: Increases the flow of bile and its discharge from the body.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Disinfectant: Used for cleaning wounds.
Emmenagogue: Promotes or increases the menstrual flow. In early stages of pregnancy it can induce an abortion.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 2
An essential oil from the leaves is used as a food flavouring and in perfumery. The leaves and flowering stems are added to pot-pourri and scented articles. The plant is often used to disinfect bee hives.
Disinfectant: Plants used for disinfecting.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
Pot-pourri: Aromatic plants used to impart a pleasant smell to an area. Can this be grouped with incense or essential oil?
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Requires a rather dry, warm, well-drained soil, but is not fussy as to soil type, thriving on chalk. Prefers slightly alkaline conditions. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to about -10°c. Sometimes cultivated as a culinary herb. A good companion plant, improving the flavour of nearby plants. The flowers are very attractive to bees. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring at 10 - 13°c and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring. Division in March or October. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Basal cuttings of young barren shoots in June. Very easy. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist