Wild marjoram

How to recognise it

Habit

Perennial of 30–60 cm with a slightly woody base and short rhizomes, forming broad clumps.

Leaves

Oval, 1–4 cm, untoothed or faintly toothed, softly hairy and opposite; with tiny glandular dots and a spicy oregano scent.

Flowers

Small pink to purple two-lipped flowers between dark red to purple bracts, in dense, branched, almost flat clusters at the tips; July to September.

Stem

Square, hairy and often reddish, upright and branched near the top.

Fruit

Four tiny brown nutlets in the calyx; they drop in autumn and winter.

Confusion with

Sweet marjoram from the kitchen is not hardy and has small white flowers in knot-like heads. Wild basil flowers in round whorls along the stem and has hardly any scent. Wild thyme stays much lower and has smaller leaves.

Flowering: July–September · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• One of the best nectar plants of summer: butterflies, honeybees, bumblebees, solitary bees and hoverflies flock to it.
• Food plant for the caterpillars of the mint moth, among others, a small purple-and-gold moth.
• Flowers for a long time, from July into September, when many spring flowers have finished.
• The seed heads stand through winter, giving structure and shelter for insects.
• Fragrant culinary herb: fresh or dried in tomato sauce, on pizza and with grilled vegetables.

Wild marjoram: where does it grow best?

• In the wild: limestone grassland, dry woodland edges and margins, banks, quarries, dykes and railway verges.
• In the garden: full sun; in light shade it flowers less and flops.
• Dry to moderately dry, free-draining, preferably chalky soil; also on sand, gravel or between stones.
• Ideal in a dry border, rock garden, herb garden, gravel garden or sunny wildflower meadow, and also in a pot on the patio.

Goes well with

• Wild thyme: A low, fragrant mat at the front, also loved by bees.
• Common knapweed: Purple heads for butterflies in the same sunny grassland.
• Musk mallow: Pink saucers in the same dry, sunny border.
• Viper’s bugloss: Blue spikes for bees on dry, poor soil.
• Lavender: A fragrant combination in the herb or gravel garden.

Wild marjoram: when and how to plant it?

1. Buy plants from a nursery for native plants or herbs and plant them in April–May or in September.
2. Or sow indoors in March–April or outdoors in May: the fine seed needs light to germinate, so just press it in.
3. Plant 30–40 cm apart, in groups of three or more for a good effect.
4. Water after planting and again in dry spells for the first few weeks; after that it copes well with drought.
5. Lighten heavy soil with coarse sand or gravel, as it dislikes wet feet in winter.
6. Never dig up plants from the wild: nurseries have plenty of plants and seed.

Care

Water

Rarely needed once established; it tolerates drought well.

Feeding

Not needed. On poor soil it stays compact and smells stronger.

Harvesting

Pick the tips just before or at the start of flowering and dry them in bunches in an airy place.

Letting it seed

Leave the seed heads: it self-seeds modestly into cracks and gravel.

Mowing

In a wildflower meadow mow once a year, at the end of September or in early spring, and remove the cuttings.

Tip: Leave the faded stems all winter and only cut them in March: you help overwintering insects and keep a lovely winter silhouette.

Pruning and mowing

Pruning months: March.

When: In March cut back the old stems, before the new shoots grow.

How:

• Leave the faded stems all winter: they look lovely with frost, and insects overwinter in and among the seed heads.
• In March cut them back to just above the young shoots at the base.
• For a more compact plant, shorten some of the stems by a third in June: they will flower a little later and lower.
• After flowering you can cut back a few stems for a second harvest of fresh leaves.

Caution: Do not cut everything down in autumn: you would lose the winter silhouettes and the shelter for insects.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or in September split the clump into pieces and replant them straight away.

Cuttings

In May–June take 5–8 cm cuttings from non-flowering shoots and set them in sandy cutting compost.

Seed

Sow indoors in March–April or outdoors in May, without covering; it often flowers from the second year.

Wild marjoram: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• It dies back largely above ground; a small rosette of green leaves often remains at the base.
• Fully hardy, as long as the soil is not too wet.
• The dry stems with seed heads give structure and shelter for insects.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: On wet, heavy soil the plant rots in winter. Choose a dry, free-draining spot.
• Self-seeding: Seedlings in paths and paving cracks. Weed them out while small or cut off some of the seed heads.
• Flopping: On rich soil or in shade the stems grow long and flop. No fertiliser, more sun, and pinch back some stems in June.
• Bare centre: Old clumps go bare in the middle. Divide them every 3–4 years.

Through the year

• March: Cut back old stems. Sow indoors.
• April: Plant or divide. New shoots appear.
• May: Take cuttings. Harvest young leaves.
• June: Pinch back some stems for more compact plants.
• July: Flowering begins. Harvest tips for drying.
• August: Full flower. Butterflies, bees and hoverflies on the flowers.
• September: Last flowers. Planting or division possible.
• October: Leave the seed heads standing.
• December: Rest. Frosted seed heads decorate the garden.

Did you know?

• Origanum comes from the Greek oros (mountain) and ganos (joy, brightness): ‘joy of the mountain’.
• The mint moth, a small day-flying moth, lays its eggs on wild marjoram and mints.
• Our native wild marjoram is milder in flavour than Greek oregano, a subspecies from the Mediterranean.