Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

General information and discussion about cultivating herbs.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old May 1, 2018   #1
greenthumbomaha
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
Default Stinky Herb

Does this look familiar to anyone? I can't recall what I planted. The dead plant on the right is sage. This short for now plant has the fine stem to the left, about two feet tall.

It does not smell good to me, rather stinky when I rub the leaves. I thought it might be a non-greek style oregano. The nice culinary greek oregano doesn't seem to be hardy here.

It is spreading and I hope to take it out and plant something else in that former herb bed.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg stinky herb1.JPG (172.0 KB, 115 views)
File Type: jpg stinky herb2.JPG (147.6 KB, 113 views)
greenthumbomaha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 1, 2018   #2
AlittleSalt
BANNED FOR LIFE
 
AlittleSalt's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
Default

It looks familiar, but I don't remember what it is. I have grown some sage that smelled stinky to me. (Even though I really like sage.)
AlittleSalt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 1, 2018   #3
MissS
Tomatovillian™
 
MissS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Posts: 3,145
Default

It does look like oregano to me, but I am not sure.
__________________
~ Patti ~
MissS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 1, 2018   #4
GrowingCoastal
Tomatovillian™
 
GrowingCoastal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Vancouver Island Canada BC
Posts: 1,253
Default

I think oregano, too.
GrowingCoastal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2018   #5
Marcus1
Tomatovillian™
 
Marcus1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 124
Default

Marjoram, I think but not sure I spelled it right
Marcus1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2018   #6
FarmerShawn
Tomatovillian™
 
FarmerShawn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Vermont
Posts: 1,001
Default

That’s what my oregano looks like this time of year.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
__________________
"Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!"
-- Tommy Smothers
FarmerShawn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2018   #7
brownrexx
Tomatovillian™
 
brownrexx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southeastern PA
Posts: 1,420
Default

Looks like oregano to me too.
brownrexx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2018   #8
greenthumbomaha
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
Default

Thanks to everyone for confirming what I thought it might be. I did plant oregano in that area, either last year or the year prior. I abandoned picking it as the very small patch of greek hot n spicy oregano out front was so much more flavorful. Ugh! What to do now besides dig, dig, dig?

- Lisa

Marcus1, I've grown marjoram, but it a pot, thankfully. Never used it though I should have, just for display.
greenthumbomaha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2018   #9
clkeiper
Tomatovillian™
 
clkeiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
Default

sorry, it doesn't look like oregano to me. oregano has a much rounder leaf. and it is slightly fuzzy. it does look more like marjoram but it isn't a perennial. marjoram smells like a room freshener to me. BUT the little part of plant on the left side laying over the wood divider does look like oregano.
__________________
carolyn k
clkeiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2018   #10
SueCT
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 1,460
Default

There are different varieties of oregano with different leaves, like tomatoes. I think this is oregano. Looks similar to this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Italian-O...plants&veh=sem
SueCT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2018   #11
Ann123
Tomatovillian™
 
Ann123's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Belgium
Posts: 240
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by clkeiper View Post
sorry, it doesn't look like oregano to me. oregano has a much rounder leaf. and it is slightly fuzzy. it does look more like marjoram but it isn't a perennial. marjoram smells like a room freshener to me. BUT the little part of plant on the left side laying over the wood divider does look like oregano.
Exactly my thoughts. The leaves on the left look like oregano to me.
Ann123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2018   #12
SueCT
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 1,460
Default

Well it is really easy to determine. pick a leaf and taste it. Or bring one to garden center and let them smell it. I can tell oregano by the smell. They should be able to also, if you don't know what it smells like.
SueCT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 3, 2018   #13
bower
Tomatovillian™
 
bower's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,793
Default

If you planted oregano (and not marjoram) then I think you can rest assured. IDK about your climate but marjoram was not a keeper here it struggled and then disappeared. Oregano on the other hand... quickly spreading.
You're right that the flavor of the leaves is not terribly useful.
My favorite things about the oregano:
(1) Bees and butterflies simply adore it.
(2) The buds before they open are a dark purple and the most useful part of the plant for me. Buds make a gorgeous herb vinegar with good flavor (and healthful, those are purple anthocyanins).
I have also tried drying the buds to use as a spice but found the texture too coarse for cooking. Maybe good though if you grind them very fine.
(3) Oregano will seed itself and thrive in any sunny place regardless of the soil. After a few years when you dig the plants there is a beautiful dark soil below them. In other words, it is a lazy way to build soil in a really poor place, just by letting it serve the bees and produce biomass to fall as organic matter on the spot.
(4) Also makes a lovely fragrant biomass for layering into your compost pile to cover your kitchen scraps etc. Makes composting a pleasant chore.
bower is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 3, 2018   #14
clkeiper
Tomatovillian™
 
clkeiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
Default

if you have oregano and had marjoram ( i do believe) it could have cross pollinated and reseeded as a not useful herb but probably supports the beneficial insects very well. they thrive on small flower plants.
__________________
carolyn k
clkeiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 3, 2018   #15
greenthumbomaha
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
Default

I didn't realize oregano's many uses, whether a cross or a plain bland oregano. That area can use soil conditioner badly. It was created from half sized landscape timber and cheap bagged products many years ago. Looks like cigarette ashes in there.

I have seen pollinators and purple flowers, though it may be the sage that I was looking at. I wonder what happened to that plant. This area was in shade until a tree was removed from the area last year. It not only allowed sunlight, but now I can move freely without navigating around a big trunk and roots. I may plant peppers in with that stand of oregano with a little tlc added.

I do have a small patch of the tasty oregano returning in a small raised bed filled with MG potting mix. The variety that is returning is Chef Jeff's Hot and Spicy Oregano. My seed grown greek oregano didn't come back in my nice sunny spot near the front walkway in clay soil. I would have though it would be just the opposite.

- Lisa
greenthumbomaha is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:50 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★