12 Companion Plants That Will Be Your Oregano's Best Friend In The Garden

Oregano (Origanum spp.) is one of those lovely herbs that everyone should have in their garden. It makes a very useful companion for so many other herbs and vegetables, as its delightful aroma helps keep many pests at bay, including those annoying sap-sucking aphids. In USDA hardiness zones 3 through 10, it can be grown as a perennial, so once you plant it, you can enjoy its spicy aroma from year to year. When looking for companion plants that will be your oregano's best friend, choose species that like similar conditions or that complement the herb's growth in other ways, such as soaking up excess moisture or using available nutrients. A few excellent companions include thyme, rosemary, lavender, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cauliflower.

Most varieties of culinary oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum or Greek oregano) are relatively low-growing, so they make excellent ground covers to plant around other herbs, vegetables, and flowers. Native to the Mediterranean, oregano thrives in a sunny spot in your garden and is quite tolerant of dry soils. In fact, this aromatic herb needs excellent drainage to thrive, especially through the colder months. You'll enjoy many benefits, such as attracting beneficial insects by growing oregano in your garden. 

While sweet basil does have higher water requirements than oregano, you might like to grow dwarf Greek basil (Ocimum basilicum var. minimum 'Greek') as a companion instead. This variety has much smaller leaves and quite a bushy, compact growth habit. It's delightfully aromatic and excellent for making pesto or using in other Mediterranean dishes alongside oregano. This basil variety enjoys the same full sun location as well as good drainage; it grows as an annual in zones 3 through 9. It's typically grown as an annual, so you'll have to replant it again each year. 

Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is another one of those Mediterranean herbs that grows well with oregano. Thyme is also a perennial when grown in zones 5 through 9. It enjoys the same growing conditions as oregano, and the two species can look quite attractive when grown together. While some varieties of thyme can have a more upright growth habit, others will spread and sprawl, much like culinary oregano. You'll also find that these two species will flower at similar times, which will bring loads of pollinators to your yard.

Another perennial herb that grows well alongside oregano is rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus). You guessed it! Rosemary is another Mediterranean herb that loves the same conditions as oregano — plenty of sunshine and well-drained soil. It will grow as a perennial in zones 8 through 10 but can be grown as an annual elsewhere. Rosemary grows into a woody shrub and looks great when underplanted with something like oregano. This herb takes well to pruning, which will allow you to grow the two species together quite successfully.

English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of the most common varieties grown in gardens in zones 5 through 9, but there are other varieties as well. Like oregano, lavender loves to grow in full sun and prefers to be on the drier side. In fact, these plants really don't handle wet soils at all. The lovely silvery foliage blends beautifully with oregano's deeper green leaves as the latter spreads along the ground underneath the more upright growth of a lavender bush. Of course, the blooms of both plants will keep the bees and butterflies happy, too.

Common or culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) is another one of those Mediterranean herbs that oregano will love growing with. As a perennial, it can be grown in zones 4 through 8, or grow it as an annual in colder regions. Like oregano, sage loves the sun and is also heat and drought-tolerant. Sage blooms in summer around the same time as oregano, which means your garden will be buzzing with bees and butterflies if you grow these two species together. Along with oregano, sage is a lovely fragrant plant that can help stop weeds from taking over your garden.

Oregano does equally as well when grown in a vegetable patch as in a herb garden, where you can pair it with brassicas like cabbage in zones 2 through 11. Depending on the variety, some cabbage plants can get quite tall, which means that oregano can happily sprawl along the ground around these plants. This can be of enormous benefit because it's said that the herb repels the white cabbage moth. Growing these two together is quite an efficient use of space, and the deeper cabbage roots will take up the moisture from below, leaving the topsoil a bit drier for your oregano to enjoy.

Brassicas like cauliflower and broccoli grow well with oregano (zones 9 through 10). Once again, the herb helps to protect the vegetables from the white cabbage moth, whose larvae can decimate a crop almost overnight. Additionally, brassicas have extensive root systems that go deep into the soil to search for moisture and nutrients. This means there's no risk of oregano being subjected to constantly damp soil, as the vegetable roots will absorb all that extra water. Growing oregano around your brassicas is also a good use of space; the herb will keep any weeds at bay.

If you've grown squash plants in your yard, whether summer (zone 6) or winter (zones 2 through 11) varieties, you'll know that they need pollination in order for the fruits to develop. Rather than hand pollinating the female flowers yourself, it's a good idea to pair oregano with these plants to bring in all those lovely pollinating insects like bees. Plus, oregano is also said to repel squash bugs, which means you'll get to keep more of your harvest instead of the pests destroying it. This is especially useful to know as there are numerous types of squash that are easy to grow.

In many ways, tomatoes are similar to oregano. They need plenty of sunshine to grow and produce their bountiful fruits (zones 5 through 8). That's why growing these two together in your garden is such a great idea. But, hang on a minute, you say — don't tomatoes need a lot of water? They certainly do, but their roots tend to go quite deep to search for all the moisture and nutrients they need. This means they'll soak up all that water, leaving the topsoil relatively dry for the oregano to thrive. 

You know that cucumbers need plenty of water to thrive in zones 3 through 8, so why would they make good companions for oregano? First, the oregano will help shade the soil as it spreads out around the base of the cucumber plants, especially if you're growing these on a trellis. The cukes will also greedily take up most of the water you give them, which is fine as far as oregano is concerned. Finally, oregano will return the favor by repelling any pests that might want to destroy your cucumber harvest and will attract pollinators when in flower. 

Apart from pairing well with a variety of other herbs and many different vegetables, certain flowering plants also make great companions for oregano. One good example is the coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia), which is also drought-tolerant and heat-resistant. Plus, this pretty flower grows well even in poor soil, making it ideal for growing with oregano to create a colorful, low-maintenance garden. As a perennial, coneflower can be grown in zones 3 through 8, which is another reason these two species grow so well together.

Just like coneflowers, yarrow (Achillea spp.) enjoys similar growing conditions to oregano and will grow happily in zones 3 through 9. It, too, likes a nice sunny spot and is both heat and drought-tolerant. In fact, if you're keen to establish a pollinator garden, growing yarrow with oregano and coneflower would be absolutely ideal, as all three species will attract bees and butterflies to your yard. Plus, they'll need very little care once established and are all deer and rabbit-resistant. Just be aware that western yarrow (Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis DC) is regarded as invasive in West Virginia.