Looking for information on ornamental origanum(s)

[maggiepie]

I'm thinking of looking for seed from some of these plants. I am wondering if someone can tell me if they flower first year from seed.
The pics I have seen look fantastic.
Tia.

[fermi de Sousa]

Which ones in particular, Helen?
We have some of them self-seeding and hybridising in our rock garden. I think they tend to flower in their second year from seed.
PM me if you'd like me to try to save some seed for you.
cheers
fermi

[John85]

Helen
Are you sure the ones you like are hardy where you live?When I was gardening in Z7 ,I lost several even protected with a pane of glass against winter rain.Several come from the mediterranean region.
PS:not forgetting your seeds:just very busy repairing storm damages!

[maggiepie]

Which ones in particular, Helen?
We have some of them self-seeding and hybridising in our rock garden. I think they tend to flower in their second year from seed.
PM me if you'd like me to try to save some seed for you.
cheers
fermi

Hi Fermi,

Could you post some pics of your hybrids?
Would love to see them.

[maggiepie]

Helen
Are you sure the ones you like are hardy where you live?When I was gardening in Z7 ,I lost several even protected with a pane of glass against winter rain.Several come from the mediterranean region.
PS:not forgetting your seeds:just very busy repairing storm damages!

John,

Pretty sure they would not be hardy although some are rated for zone 5.
Am quite prepared to grow in pots and winter in the garage or basement.

Sorry to hear you have storm damage, hope it wasn't too severe.
Hope you didn't lose any of your special plants.

[TheOnionMan]

Helen,  I grew Origanum rotundifolium from Turkish Mac & Watson seed, and it lived outdoors for several years in USDA Zone 5.  I believe the one named "Kent Beauty' is a hybrid and not as hardy. 

I see that Wrightman Alpines sells two types:
http://www.wrightmanalpines.com/plant/origanum-amanum
http://www.wrightmanalpines.com/plant/origanum-x-suendermanii

[maggiepie]

Thanks, Mark.

I wonder why it is that the culinary origanums are perfectly hardy here, in fact they grow like mint.

Btw, if you ever see a source of Mexican oregano ( Lippia graveolens) seeds, please let me know.

[Lesley Cox]

Which plants Helen? There were none mentioned and no attachment in the post as it appeared here.

[maggiepie]

Lesley, I'm not really fussy about what I get, I did love the look of , Origanum libanoticum, Origanum 'Amethyst Falls'and Kent Beauty, I don't really know much about the ornamental origanums.
Am sure there are lots of lovely hybrids out there too.
I do realize that even if I can get seeds of these  that they are not likely to come true from seed but suspect whatever the seedlings look like they would be lovely.
I'm prepared to either grow in pots or winter indoors.

[Lesley Cox]

Sorry Helen, I didn't actually notice the title of the thread so didn't realize it was especially Origanums you were asking about.

If you can get true O. rotundifolium it is a lovely thing. I'm very lucky to have a plant from seed of the original ACW collection in 1966 but it has never set collectable seed or given anything self-sown. I had a very few seeds from the AGS in 2009 and a single seedling is the result, germinated only 3 months ago so no, no flowering in the first year. I think it may be a hybrid anyway as there's a reddish flush on the leaves, still only a cm high. I doubt if any would flower so early. I love the woolly O. dictamnus, but is frequently available under another name. No I mean the reverse. Another plant is frequently available as dictamnus but isn't. O. microphyllum is delightful too, very tiny grey foliage and small magenta flowers. But I like them all very much.

[John85]

Helen
I  can give you a plant of O.laevigatum Herrenhausen if you like but is it allowed through the customs?

[maggiepie]

Thanks for the information, Lesley.
I think I might have had the woolley one you refer to a few years ago.
It lasted one winter and then croaked, hence my decision to use pots in future and winter in the garage.

John, thanks for the offer but no, would not be allowed.

[ruweiss]

Helen, Origanum plants are very desirable for rock gardens, but I am not sure, if they are hardy enough for your climate.
I cultivate my plants without any protection in winter and O.amanum does very well with me since more than 15 years .
All of them are summer flowering and bring colour and fragrance, when most of the other alpine flowers are gone. They
also hybridize freely, so many different coloured seedlings can occur on many places. O. dictamnus is not hardy with me,
the hairy leaves rot in wintertime, but the peoples of Crete love and use it for their famous medical mountain tea.
O. rotundifolium is from wild seed collected in Boz Dag, Turkey from Jurasek seed.
I am not sure, if O. microphyllum is the true thing, maybe someone can help me with the identification.

[maggiepie]

Well, Rudi, you have just made me even more determined to find seeds for some of these beautiful plants.
Even if I have to sink pots for summer and bring indoors for winter.
Thanks for the great pics.

[Lesley Cox]

Rudi, your picture of O. microphyllum is not at all like mine but I have no picture of it and my present plant is very tiny, a replacement from a cutting from a friend, after my other died. I'll try to photograph hers later in the week. The leaves are very small and quite grey while the tiny flowers are a rich, strong magenta colour. It also has a strong scent very like a culinary thyme and in face I have used it in the kitchen occasionally. I think I grew it from AGS seed originally, many years ago.