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Origanum syriacum
Also called Lebanese oregano, Syrian oregano, Bible Hyssop, White Oregano
Biblical-hyssop (Origanum syriacum) is an aromatic perennial herb in the mint family, grown as a culinary and za'atar herb in warm, dry, sunny conditions. It needs excellent drainage and little water once established.
Origanum syriacum subsp. syriacum; syn. Majorana syriaca (also Origanum maru, although this primarily refers to a hybrid of O. syriacum), bible hyssop, Biblical-hyssop, Lebanese oregano or Syrian oregano, is an aromatic perennial herb in the mint family, Lamiaceae.
It is a preferred primary ingredient in the spice mixture za'atar.
Origanum syriacum is native to the Middle East. In Egypt, Origanum syriacum subsp. sinaicum is a very rare plant that grows on stony ground in Sinai Peninsula including the coastal Mediterranean strip. Wild hyssop and sage are protected under Israeli law as endangered plants, but no major studies on their status have been conducted since 1977. Foraging for za'atar is illegal under Israeli law.
Origanum amanum · Origanum laevigatum · Marjoram · Pot marjoram · Origanum rotundifolium · Oregano
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Origanum syriacum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
