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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Verbenaceae (Vervains) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Cream |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Fragrant Flowers: Yes |
| Height: 4-5 feet |
| Width: 4-5 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 30-32° F |
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Lippia graveolens (Mexican oregano) An evergreen shrub to 5 feet tall by equal width with aromatic small oblong olive green pleated leaves and from spring through fall appear the fragrant small yellow centered cream flowers that are held in clusters that resemble those of Lantana. Plant in full sun and irrigate occasionally to hardly at all - this is a very drought tolerant plant! Hardy to around 30 °F and though it may drop leaves in cold years, it will usually resprout in spring. Though a bit unruly looking and not terribly long lived (most estimate not much more than 10 years), the flowers are attractive and the leaves are very useful for culinary purposes and it also reportedly attracts nectar feeding butterflies, bees and other insects as well as seed eating birds. Lippia graveolens is native to the most southern tip of Texas, south through Mexico into Central America. The name for the genus honors the French naturalist and botanist Augustus Lippi, (1678-1705) and the specific epithet is from the Latin words 'gravis' meaning "heavy" and 'oleo' meaning "oil" in reference to the aromatic oils of this species. It is usually commonly called Mexican oregano but also redbrush lippia, Scented lippia, scented matgrass and in Mexico it is called orégano cimarrón, meaning "wild oregano". The leaves are used extensively as an herb in Mexico and Central America for their strong oregano flavor, which some declare is stronger than true Oregano, Origanum vulgare. Though these plants share similar essential oils, Lippia graveolens is unrelated to true Oregano, which is a member of the mint family, the Lamiaceae. Two other plants in the mint family are also called Mexican Oregano, Poliomintha longiflora and Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia. Our thanks go out to our friend John Bleck for sharing this interesting plant with us.
Information displayed on this page about Lippia graveolens is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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