Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum

Oregano, Oregano

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Oregano is a naturalized perennial found in coastal California regions including northern Coast, central Coast, San Francisco Bay, southern Coast, and North Coast in disturbed areas at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering during summer, this plant produces small white flowers in pale green or cream-colored bracts. Growing with short-hairy stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall emerging from underground rhizomes, it spreads easily in open ground. Its leaves are small, approximately 2 to 15 millimeters long, with entire to slightly serrated edges, covered in fine hairs and minute glandular dots. The plant's delicate white flowers and extensively spreading growth habit make it a common sight in disturbed landscapes.

Habitat: Disturbed areas

Bloom period: +- summer

Elevation: < 1300 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo, SnFrB, SCo, MP

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.