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| Category: Perennial |
| Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae) (Mints) |
| Origin: Mediterranean (Europe) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Magenta |
| Bloomtime: Summer/Fall |
| Height: 1 foot |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
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Origanum dictamnus (Dittany of Crete) - A tender perennial to 6 to 12 inches tall with arching white woolly one foot stems holding opposite pairs of aromatic rounded leaves that are white woolly. Spikes of rose-pink flowers with tightly overlapping pale green bracts blushed with purple appear in early summer and bracts darken to rose-purple through summer into fall. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and give occasional to infrequent irrigation. Hardy to around 5 °F. A great plant for its velvety soft white leaves that is useful in the rock garden or with other mediterranean plants. It is native to the mountains and canyons on the Greek island of Crete where it is found growing in rocky outcrops and crevices above 1,000 feet in elevation. It has long been used to flavor food and for herbal medicinal purposes as well as for an ornamental plant and the bracts make a great addition to the dried flower bouquet. The name for the genus comes from an ancient Greek name for these aromatic herbs that is thought to be derived from the Greek words 'oros' meaning "mountain" and 'ganos' meaning "joy" or "joy of the mountain" and the specific epithet is thought to be derived from Dikti, the mountain where legend has it that Zeus was born and 'thamnos' meaning "shrub". It is also commonly called Cretan Dittany, Crete Dittany or Hop Marjoram, Wild Marjoram, Wintersweet, Eronda and Dhiktamos. This plant has been in cultivation in the US since at least the 1940s (it was listed in Baily's 1947 edition of Hortus Second) and we have grown this great plant since 1997.
This information about Origanum dictamnus displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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