Jim’s Best Oregano
- botanical name: Origanum vulgare ‘Jim’s Best’
- perennial zones 5-9
- height 6-12″
- spacing 6-8″ apart
- full sun tolerant,partial shade
- dry-average, well-drained soil
- uses in garden: as a border, great in containers, cut flower, drought tolerant, as an edging, fragrant, ground cover, mass plant
- use in bread, pasta dishes, stuffing, and of course pizza
- attracts bees and butterflies
*Please note: We accept plant orders at any time of the year and if you prefer to place an order outside our regular shipping months of April-May, ordering is still easy. “Why we only ship in April and May”
Due to the nature of shipping live plants, when you place an order, we will simply hold your order and ship it at the proper time for your zone, when weather permits in April 2013. Seed packets are shipped year round through USPS.
For more information see our “Ordering and Shipping Policy.”
Jim’s Best Oregano has marbled green and gold leaves and a lovely trailing habit that lends itself nicely to spilling over the edge of a pot or a rock wall. It works well in rock gardens as well. This is probably the most useful ornamental Oregano, because it works so excellently in combination pots. Jim’s Best is incredibly versatile and easy to grow. While it tolerates full sun, plant in partial shade for best leaf color. Find great Oregano recipes here!
Best when used fresh, although Oregano dries well and retains much of its flavor. Harvest the non-flowering varieties in the late spring as the oil concentrations rise steadily in the spring and then decline.
Compare the Oregano varieties. View a summary of all the Oregano varieties together.
Sowing Instructions:
It is easiest to propagate from starter plants, take your cuttings in the late spring, and allowing them to root in a fine soil mix.
Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost date. Don’t cover them with soil, as they need light to germinate. If you are worried about the seeds washing away, place a fine mesh cloth (like cheesecloth) over the seeds until they begin to poke through. Germination 4-7 days. Plant the seedlings out after they are at least three inches tall and all danger of frost has passed.
To harvest: bunch stems together and hang in a cool and airy place to dry. Once dry, strip the leaves from the stem and store in an airtight container. For fresh use, snip leaves or small sections of the plant after it has reached six inches in height. Keeping oregano clipped in this way will help the plant to bush out and encourage more foliage growth.
Many people skip the drying process altogether and simply chop the leaves finely, and either – add a small amount of water and freeze in ice cube trays for later use, or add the chopped leaves to softened butter. The oregano butter, when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, will last for several weeks
