Other Names:  Ornamental Oregano

Brand:  Walters Gardens

Description:

An ornamental variety featuring mounds of chartreuse yellow leaves topped with lilac flowers in the late summer months; leaves are edible with a softer flavor than typical oregano; heat and drought tolerant, great for borders, beds and containers

Ornamental Features

Gilt Trip Oregano features showy spikes of lilac purple trumpet-shaped flowers with violet calyces at the ends of the stems from mid summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant oval leaves remain chartreuse in colour with hints of yellow throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Gilt Trip Oregano is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Gilt Trip Oregano is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Gilt Trip Oregano will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 32 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 28 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Gilt Trip Oregano is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.