Common Name: Greek oreganoScientific Name: Origanum vulgare hirtumWhere I Saw It: This is part of my

Common Name: Greek oregano

Scientific Name: Origanum vulgare hirtum

Where I Saw It: This is part of my herb garden in front of my house.

Can I Eat It? Yes.  It has a sort of spicy flavor and is used for seasoning in a lot of Mediterranean dishes.

Native Range: Western and southwestern Eurasia, the Mediterranean.

How It Behaves in New York: This plant comes back perennially and has been spreading slowly in my garden.  The internet tells me that oregano, as part of the mint family, has a tendency to become invasive, but I haven’t noticed that with this plant.

Reasons to Like It: Smells good!  Tastes good!  Makes local pollinators happy!  Attracts bugs that are good for the garden!

Reasons to Dislike It: None that I can find, though if it does start becoming invasive then that would be a problem.