Plant record · Perennial
Is Oregano deer resistant?
Origanum sp.
Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- Type
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–9, genus range
- Light
- Full sun
- Bloom
- Summer
- Maintenance
- Low
- Toxic to
- dogs, cats, and horses
Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.
About Oregano
Culinary oregano doubles as a decent front-of-bed plant, and bees work the flowers hard. Flavor is strongest on poor dry soil, so do not feed it.
Do deer eat oregano?
Rarely. Rutgers rates the genus A, Iowa State lists it in the top tier, and NC State lists deer and rabbits among what Origanum vulgare resists, along with drought, dry soil, heat, slugs and foot traffic, the longest resistance list of any herb on this site. The oil is the reason, and NC State's growing advice is the same as the flavor advice: poor, dry ground.
Where it grows
Zones 4a to 8b on NC State's range, full sun, 1 to 3 feet, flowering spring into summer; the flowers are the part bees work. "Root rot can occur in wet, poorly drained soils." Fed and watered, it grows large and tastes of little.
Protecting oregano
Not from deer. The ASPCA lists oregano as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and the callout below carries it.
If it is browsed
It regrows from the mat of stems at the base and is not harmed; cutting it back hard in spring is how it is kept compact anyway. What kills oregano is a wet winter, not an animal.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 8
- Drainage
- Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 12 to 18 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Oregano
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- Anise HyssopAgastache sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Basket of GoldAurinia saxatilisZones 3–7Rarely damaged
- Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Bigleaf GoldenrayLigularia dentataZones 4–8Rarely damaged
- Bleeding HeartLamprocapnos spectabilisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Where Oregano is used
One guide on this site plants it, and says where and what beside it.
Where Oregano grows
Hardy across every state on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Common questions about Oregano
- Is Oregano deer resistant?
- Oregano (Origanum sp.) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Oregano grow in?
- Oregano is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Oregano grow in shade?
- No. Oregano wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- Is Oregano toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Oregano as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.
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Every list Oregano belongs to.
All perennials·Rarely damaged·Full sun plants