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This oregano was raised from seed. The seed
came from Deni Bown in England who received the seed from an
Australian friend who received it from the collector who
acquired it in Yunnan, China. Origanum seeds are small
(that is using the word loosely). I managed to get three plants
and soon lost two of them. I raised one to maturity (i.e. large
enough to plant in the Pharmacy Garden [at Festival Hill in
Roundtop, TX] in the China bed). It has a mounding growth habit.
[The] stems are very blue in winter. The leaves are hairy and
warm to the tongue with the strong aroma typical of Origanum
vulgare. It bloomed last September while I was away. When I
returned home in October there were only a few pink buds left.
The inflorescence was bluish lavender. The bluish stems likely
will green up as the weather warms. Art [Tucker] has identified
this as an Origanum and until more information is found I
have carried it as O. 'Yunnan' in the collection
records and garden inventory. As with so many of the Origanum
sp., it is likely used as a fever reduction plant or
as a soothing tea for the stomach. This is not a culinary herb,
but is used in potpourris and perfumes. It is rhizomatic and
will eventually spread to form a ground cover over time. The
leaves are a little sticky to the touch and have a peculiar
smell like that of musk. This is a stunning specimen in the herb
garden or perennial border. I hope I can contact the original
collector for further information as to its usage.
–
Madalene Hill, HSA Pioneer Unit and South Texas Unit member, Promising Plants Presentation, 2003
 Origanum vulgare
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Text and images © 2003 The Herb Society of America
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