Oregano Vulgaris

HERB BOTANICAL NAME:

Origanum vulgare L.

FORMERLY:

Oregano heracleoticum

COMMON NAMES:

Oregano, pizza herb, Mountain Mint, Marjolaine Batarde, Origan, Spanish Thyme, Wintersweet, German oregano.

CHINESE NAME:

Tu Yin Chen

HINDI NAME:

Sathra, Mirzanjosh

DIVISION/CLADE

Tracheophyta

ORDER

Lamiales

FAMILY

Lamiaceae, mints, menthes

TRIBE

Mentheae

GENUS

Origanum L.

Species

Origanum Vulgare L.

DESCRIPTION:

A perennial, aromatic plant with olive-green, opposite leaves leaves and purple, pink or white flowers that could reach up to 3 feet.  Grows best in temperate and tropical climates.  

PARTS USED:

Leaves, stems

USES:  Medicinal, culinary

PREPARATIONS: Oils, infusions, meals

DOSAGE: As recommended by prescription or recipe

SAFETY: Its leaves when used in infusions and as a culinary herb. During pregnancy is better to stay with edible amounts.   Its oil could cause irritation if its concentration is over 1%.  If allergic to mints, is better to avoid its consumption. If consumed in large doses, it could increase the risk of bleeding.  Stop taking large doses before surgery.

TASTE: Earthy, warm, a tad bitter.  When its quality is good, the leaves could numb the tongue when chewed.

NATIVE REGION:

Mediterranean and western Asia countries although widely cultivated in temperate and tropical zones

HABITAT:

Full sun or semi shade and well-drained soil.  Sometimes you can see it in rocky soil.  Doesn’t do well in damp or heavy soil. Dry, grassy areas and calcareous soil.  Does well in mildly acid and mildly alkaline soils.   Doesn’t do well near the ocean.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION:

Mediterraneand and western Asia countries.  Some parts of the United States and Mexico.  Central and South America.

CULTIVATION: 

Plants should be spaced about 8” to 10” apart both ways.  Grows well in pots or in the ground.  It propagates by seeds or seedlings.

HARVESTING GUIDELINES:

Pinch or trim with shar shears regularly for a denser and bushier plant and avoid long stems.  Leaves are most flavorful before the plant blooms.

CONSTITUENTS:

Carvacrol, thymol, limonene, pinene, ocimene caryophyllne, eugenol and rosmarinic acid

ENERGY: Hot