Oregano is a great herb to plant in your herb garden for many reasons.

It’s a perennial, which means it will come back year after year, it’s relatively low maintenance, it adds great flavor to foods, and it’s a great pollinator plant.

Because of its aroma, oregano can also be planted in a vegetable garden and has been proven as a pest repellent in certain situations, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is from the mint family (Lamiaceae).

It can be grown from seed or cuttings. It often starts as a ground-hugging plant, but can sometimes grow to about two feet tall.

Oregano prefers full sun and well-drained soil. It also adapts well when grown in containers for indoor herb gardens. It is drought tolerant.

Oregano does require regular pinching to promote bushier growth. I have found that pinching it off from time to time keeps plants from looking leggy.

I start this when it gets about 4 inches high. Regular pinching also will delay flowering. I also start to harvest my oregano leaves at this time. I trim off some sprigs for cooking and leave the rest.

Be sure to harvest oregano before it flowers because once it flowers, I find the plant stops putting out new growth.

Drying oregano is easy. I either let it dry naturally by hanging the sprigs upside down, or I strip the leaves off the sprigs and then dry the leaves in my dehydrator.

Dried oregano has a stronger flavor and should be good for two to three years. It can be used in sauces, tomato dishes, pizza, soups, salads and Mexican dishes.

Italian oregano (Origanum vulgare) is the one most people use for cooking. It gives food a bit of zest but is milder than the Greek oregano (Origanum heracleoticum). Other popular varieties of oregano include; Profussion, Syrian (Oregano maru) Turkestan (Oregano tyttan), Hopley’s Purple oregano and Mexican (Lippia graveolens).

I’ve always had Italian and Greek oregano in my herb garden. This year I just happened to come across a new variety by accident. It was a leftover plant from a plant sale and I took it home eager to try it.

The label read “Hot and Spicy Oregano.” It is not Mexican oregano, which is a common name of a different plant that is not a true oregano.

So, I tried the new oregano. I first rubbed it between my fingers and discovered it had a much stronger fragrance than my other oreganos. So, I decided to use it in my Mexican salsa. It added just the right zing.

This oregano is a winner!

For more information on oregano visit: https://go.osu.edu/oregano

Kostelic is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.