Oregon · Washington · Idaho

When to plant oregano

Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 15 – May 10; Spokane Apr 15 – Jun 10; Boise Apr 1 – May 27; Bend May 12 – Jul 7.

Oregano is a spreading perennial herb in the mint family whose leaves give pizza, tomato sauce and Greek dishes their savory flavor. Greek oregano has the strongest flavor, while many plants sold simply as oregano are milder and better grown for their flowers, which bees love. Marjoram is a close relative with a sweeter taste.

Add to my garden plan

Puts oregano on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.

Difficulty: Easy
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 12 to 18 inches apart
Planting depth: Plant at the depth it grew in the nursery pot
Frost: Handles light frost
First harvest: Pick lightly the first year, freely after that

A hardy perennial that thrives on neglect. Flavor is strongest just before it flowers.

Oregano planting dates

Towns	Plant in the garden
Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 15 – May 10
Spokane, WA	Apr 15 – Jun 10
Boise and Meridian, ID, Astoria, OR	Apr 1 – May 27
Bend and Redmond, OR	May 12 – Jul 7

Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.

Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR	Mar 15 – May 10
Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR	Mar 19 – May 14

Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR	Mar 15 – May 10
Cottage Grove, OR	Mar 27 – May 22
McMinnville and Newberg, OR	Mar 18 – May 13

Ashland and Talent, OR	Apr 8 – Jun 3
Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR	Mar 15 – May 10

Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR	Apr 1 – May 27

Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR	May 12 – Jul 7
Burns, OR	May 14 – Jul 9
Lakeview, OR	May 7 – Jul 2
Madras, OR	Apr 21 – Jun 16
Prineville, OR	May 4 – Jun 29

Baker City, OR	Apr 27 – Jun 22
Enterprise and Joseph, OR	Apr 26 – Jun 21
Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR	Apr 1 – May 27
John Day, OR	Apr 30 – Jun 25
La Grande, OR	Apr 15 – Jun 10

Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 15 – May 10
Olympia, WA	Apr 1 – May 27
Shelton, WA	Mar 30 – May 25

Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA	Mar 15 – May 10

Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA	Apr 1 – May 27
Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA	Mar 15 – May 10
Sequim, WA	Mar 24 – May 19

Centralia and Chehalis, WA	Mar 25 – May 20
Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA	Mar 15 – May 10

Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA	Apr 1 – May 27
Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA	Apr 15 – Jun 10
Winthrop and Twisp, WA	Apr 17 – Jun 12

Ellensburg, WA	Apr 15 – Jun 10
Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA	Apr 1 – May 27
Goldendale, WA	Apr 21 – Jun 16
Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA	Apr 3 – May 29
Yakima, WA	Apr 10 – Jun 5

Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA	Apr 15 – Jun 10

Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID	Apr 15 – Jun 10

Lewiston, ID	Apr 1 – May 27
Moscow, ID	Apr 15 – Jun 10

Boise and Meridian, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID	Apr 1 – May 27
Emmett, ID	Apr 2 – May 28
McCall, ID	May 25 – Jul 20

Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID	Apr 15 – Jun 10
Salmon, ID	Apr 19 – Jun 14

Oregano year at a glance

Task	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O
Plant	Mar	Apr	May
Harvest			May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct
In bloom					Jul	Aug

Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates.

How to grow oregano

Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant young oregano plants on your city's dates, 12 to 18 inches apart. Plant at the depth it grew in the nursery pot.
Water sparingly once established. Rich soil makes the flavor milder, so skip the fertilizer.
Harvest: Cut stems just before flowering, when flavor peaks. Dry bunches upside down in a shady, airy spot.

Growing oregano in your part of the Northwest

The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.

West-side valleys

Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon

Oregano is easy if the soil drains well. Cut it back after flowering to keep it bushy.

East of the Cascades

Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho

Oregano handles heat, drought and cold winters well.

High desert and mountain towns

Central Oregon, high eastern Oregon valleys, McCall, Salmon

Common oregano is hardy here; Greek oregano may need winter mulch.

More oregano varieties

More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.

Greek oregano

Culinary, strong

The strongest, most pungent oregano, with fuzzy gray-green leaves. The one to grow for pizza, pasta sauce and drying. Like other oreganos, it thrives on neglect.

Both sides

Italian oregano

Culinary, oregano-marjoram cross

A cross between oregano and marjoram with a milder, sweeter flavor. Popular for fresh use in Italian dishes. It is hardy in most Northwest gardens with good drainage.

Both sides

Golden oregano

Ornamental, mild

Bright golden-yellow leaves that light up a border, with a mild flavor. Give it a little afternoon shade in hot eastern summers to avoid leaf scorch.

Both sides

Hot & Spicy

Culinary, extra pungent

A very strong, peppery oregano favored for Mexican and Mediterranean cooking. Hardy and easy. Cut stems just before flowering, when flavor is strongest, and dry them for winter use.

Both sides

Sweet marjoram

Tender perennial

A close relative of oregano with a sweet, delicate flavor. It is not reliably winter hardy, so most Northwest gardeners grow it as an annual.

Both sides

Common oregano

Origanum vulgare

Very hardy, with pink flowers that attract bees and butterflies. The flavor is milder than Greek oregano, so many grow it as much for pollinators as for cooking.

Both sides

How much to grow

How many to plant

One or two plants for most households.

What to expect

Plenty of leaves from one plant, more than most kitchens use.

Storing the harvest

Dries well. Hang bunches upside down in a shady, airy spot, then strip the leaves into a jar.

Key numbers

6.0–8.0Soil pH
Rarely, if everFertilizer
Just before floweringBest flavor
Every 3–4 yearsDivide

Top care tip: Cut plants back by half in early summer to keep them leafy instead of woody and sprawling.

Growing notes

What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.

Lean soil, strong flavor

Oregano's flavor comes from aromatic oils in the leaves, and plants make the most of them in full sun and lean, well-drained soil. Rich soil, fertilizer and lots of water grow big, leafy plants with a milder taste. Once established, water only in long dry spells.

Like most Mediterranean herbs, it dislikes soggy winter soil, so give it a raised or well-drained spot west of the Cascades. It's hardy across the Northwest, though Greek oregano is a little less cold-tolerant in the harshest eastern winters.

Pick the right plant

The word oregano covers plants with very different flavors. Greek oregano has the strong, peppery taste most cooks want. Many seed packets labeled simply oregano grow a mild, ornamental type with little flavor. The safest approach is to buy a plant and rub a leaf before you buy: good culinary oregano should smell sharp and taste almost spicy.

Golden oregano is milder and grown mostly for its bright foliage.

Harvesting, drying and dividing

Cut stems just as flower buds form, when flavor peaks, and dry bunches upside down in a shady, airy spot. Unlike many herbs, dried oregano keeps much of its flavor. Cutting back by half in early summer gives a second flush of leaves for a later harvest.

After three or four years, clumps get woody in the middle. In spring, dig the clump, cut it into a few pieces with healthy roots and shoots, and replant the strongest ones.

Good neighbors

Thyme and sage. The same dry, sunny spot.
Vegetable beds. The summer flowers draw bees and small beneficial wasps.

Pests and problems

What most often goes wrong with oregano in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.

Sprawl

Signs: Plants get leggy and woody.

What to do: Cut back by half in early summer for fresh, bushy growth.

Root rot

Signs: Plants die out in soggy winters.

What to do: Plant where water drains away.

Common questions about growing oregano

When should I plant oregano in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?

Plant in the garden: Mar 15 – May 10 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 15 – Jun 10 in Spokane, Apr 1 – May 27 in Boise and May 12 – Jul 7 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.

Why does my oregano have no flavor?

Either it's a mild ornamental type, or it's growing in rich, damp soil or shade. Greek oregano in full sun and lean soil has the strongest taste. Harvest just before it flowers for the best flavor.

Is oregano the same as marjoram?

They're close relatives in the same plant group. Marjoram is sweeter and milder and less cold hardy, while oregano is more pungent and a tough perennial in most of the Northwest.

Should I let oregano flower?

For the best leaves, harvest before it flowers. But the flowers are a favorite of bees and other pollinators, so many gardeners let part of the plant bloom and cut the rest for the kitchen.

Also on these lists: