Digging deeperPlant Library

Other Names:  Cascading Hopflower, Hopflower Oregano, Marjoram

Description:

An ornamental variety that produce cascading violet-pink flowers, nodding from pale pink-cream bracts; excellent mid to late season color for a rock garden or border front

Ornamental Features

Lebanese Oregano features showy nodding pink flowers with violet overtones and shell pink bracts at the ends of the stems in mid summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive small fragrant round leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the season. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Lebanese Oregano is an herbaceous perennial with a shapely form and gracefully arching foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Lebanese Oregano is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Lebanese Oregano will grow to be about 15 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 16 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.