mexican oregano

[bj taylor]

wondering how hardy it is & wondering about other's success with it. it fizzled out when i first planted it. i gave up & went on. i come back later & it's growing just fine without my interference. another one i am enjoying so much is nepeta (sp?). it was malingering. i reworked a walkway & some dry cement got onto that area. it got wet & made a thin crust around this plant. i didn't take care of it & figured it was a gonner. instead, it jumps up & says hey i like this. it has grown really well since then. it makes me think of lavender a little that way.
bj

[culdeus]

I find oregano best left undisturbed in the winter. And Mexican Oregeno with the little purple bell flowers are very attractive. Right now they are sort of shutting down, but expect an EXPLOSION in February/March. A small 6" diameter plant that's 6" high can quickly become 2' high and 4' wide in under a month.

The primary use I have for it, besides cooking, is that it is the single biggest attractor of bees to my by.

It's also neat to get the woody parts from the bottom (and foliage to the top) and bundle the 3' long strands with some rosemary too, dunk them in ice water for 1 hour and then toss them on the coals in your grill to smoke your fish, etc.

But I'd wait for spring for that.