Oregano, Origanum vulgare, is the herb of pizza and Greek salads, whose flavour comes mainly from carvacrol. Dried oregano is stronger than fresh. In India it is sold in shakers with pizza and grows in hill gardens. What is sold as Mexican oregano comes from a different plant, Lippia graveolens.
- Botanical name
- Origanum vulgare L.
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Tamil
- Oregano
- Hindi
- Oregano
- Parts used
- Leaf
- Habit
- Oregano; English marjoram is a shop word
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Oregano
It is a bushy perennial up to about half a metre, with square stems and oval, soft, opposite leaves.
Small pink to purple flowers grow in clusters among purplish bracts.
The plant spreads by creeping rhizomes.
Sweet marjoram, Origanum majorana, has greyer, softer leaves and knot-like flower buds, and a sweeter flavour.
Flavour is strongest just before flowering, which is when growers harvest it for drying.
Traditional use of Oregano
Mediterranean kitchen
Oregano is used dried in Greek, Italian and Turkish cooking, on pizzas, grilled meats and salads.
Mediterranean food practice
Himalayan wild plant
Wild oregano grows in the western Himalaya, where it has been gathered as a herb and for tea.
Himalayan practice
Modern notes on Oregano
Oil of oregano is rich in carvacrol and thymol, which are strongly antimicrobial in laboratory tests. Clinical evidence for supplements is weak.
Greek oregano, subspecies hirtum, is the most strongly flavoured.
Oregano safety
Use the herb in cooking. Concentrated oregano oil can irritate the gut and skin.
Ecology and sourcing
It is native to Europe, the Mediterranean and western to central Asia, including the Himalaya.
It grows wild in dry grasslands and rocky slopes.
Bees and butterflies love its flowers.
In India it does best in the hills or in sunny, well-drained pots on the plains.
Related plants
Also in Lamiaceae
Questions about Oregano
Is Mexican oregano the same?
No. Mexican oregano is Lippia graveolens.
Is Oregano marjoram?
It is sometimes called wild marjoram; sweet marjoram is Origanum majorana.
Is dried stronger than fresh?
Yes, for oregano.
How do I dry oregano?
Hang cut stems upside down in a shady, airy place, then crumble the leaves.
Sources
- Origanum vulgare L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q134283 (Origanum vulgare)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.