Oregano is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It produces small lip-shaped flowers 6 mm (0.24 in) long and is usually white to pale pink. If you have oregano flowers, there are several things you can use them for.
You can use oregano flowers for cooking, although most people usually use oregano leaves instead. Alternatively, you can use oregano flowers for flower arrangement. Since oregano flowers produce seeds, you can use them to grow more oregano. So, don’t throw out your oregano flowers.
Oregano is one of the most popular plants globally, thanks to its subtle sweetness and wonderful fragrance. Keep reading as I further explore what you can do with your oregano flowers.
How Can I Use Oregano Flowers?
Oregano flowers are just as cool as their leaves, so don’t throw them out.
You can use oregano flowers for cooking, flower arrangement, and tea. Don’t hesitate to grow more oregano if you’re a big fan of the plant. Since oregano flowers produce seeds, you can use them to grow more oregano!
You can do the following to make good use of your oregano flowers:
Cook With Oregano Flowers
The flowers in oregano can be consumed safely in many dishes. Oregano flowers don’t have a strong flavor compared to the leaves. The flowers will give you a more subtle flavor. Most oregano products are best for flavoring dishes like salad, pasta sauce, and pizza.
How To Make Grilled Caprese Pizza With Oregano
You can prepare many delicious foods with oregano, such as pizzas! Here’s a quick recipe you can try at home:
Ingredients:
- Flatbread
- Fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
- Fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
- Fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
- Olive oil
- One clove of garlic, minced
- Oregano flowers, fresh or dried
Directions
- Mix 1-2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) of oil with minced garlic and unfold on a flatbread.
- Top flatbread with a layer each of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.
- Place on the warmth until the cheese has melted and the crust is brown approximately 12–25 min.
- Sprinkle oregano flowers just before serving.
Use Oregano Flowers for Fresh Flower Arrangement
If you have oregano flowers, don’t throw them out even if you don’t use them for cooking.
You can pick oregano flowers and make a fresh pot of flowers in your home! There’s nothing more fulfilling than having a vase of freshly picked flowers in your living space. You can also combine these flowers with other herbal flowers like mint if you have them in your garden.
Add Oregano Flowers to Your Tea
It might seem like an absurd idea when you think about flowers in tea, but you can absolutely add oregano flowers to your tea! You can use just the flowers or combine them with your favorite herbal tea.
Herbal tea made from leaves has a milder taste compared to the one made from leaves. You can make herbal tea from fresh flowers or dried ones.
Follow the steps below to use dried flowers for herbal tea:
- Collect the fresh flower heads from your oregano plant.
- Place the flowers in a warm place to dry. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight.
- Put them in a container or a zip bag once they’re dry.
- Enjoy your oregano tea.
Suppose you’re looking for healthy drinks. Oregano tea has several health benefits, so why not add it to your drinking list? Reasons to drink oregano tea:
- It’s rich in antioxidants.
- Oregano tea offers anti-inflammatory effects.
- It’s anti-bacterial.
- Oregano tea can reduce stress and anxiety.
- It contains antiviral effects.
- Drinking oregano tea can help you get rid of sore throat, cough, nausea, digestive problems, or irritable bowel syndrome.
Use Oregano Flowers for Your DIY Home Decor
Some people feel happy when they undertake DIY projects. You’re in luck since oregano flowers can be a creative project for your home decor. When oregano flowers are dried, they can last for weeks, the drying process is simple, and your end product will be satisfying.
Below are steps for the drying process:
- Cut the oregano plant stem. You can cut as many as you need.
- Clean the lower stems of its leaves. Do this by pinching the stems and running the fingers down the shaft.
- Pile these stems in a bunch of 5 to 7 and tie them together. Tie a few stems per bunch to allow thorough drying. Use a long string to tie the bunches and hang them.
- Look for a warm place away from direct sunlight for the bunches to facilitate a successful drying process.
- Find a good dry flower preserving spray once your flowers and leaves are dry.
- Get a vase or a place to display your dry oregano flowers.
Leave the Oregano Flowers in Your Garden
If you cannot find any use of the oregano flowers, leave them in the garden. By doing nothing, you’re also doing something important.
Leaving flowers in your garden attracts bees, birds, and butterflies that are useful in pollination. Some plants are not self-pollinating, and they depend on these insects to facilitate this process. Therefore, leave the flowers, and nature will take care of them.
Grow More Oregano
Instead of buying oregano seeds to plant, you can use dried oregano seeds from your garden. In a few steps, this is possible:
- Let the oregano plant reach its maturity. When this happens, the fresh flowers will start to turn brown in a few days.
- Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut off the browned flowers and place them in a paper bag.
- Leave them to dry in a warm and dry place away from direct sunlight.
- After about two weeks, remove the oregano leaves from the paper bag and crush them to release the seeds.
- Store the seeds in a container or envelope and wait for the next planting season.
Sell the Oregano Flowers
If you check the price of dried oregano flowers online, you’ll find that they’re about $20 a bunch for (20 to 30 stems). Therefore, this is one more tip on how to use your oregano flowers.
One can start a business by selling these dry flowers or even selling the seeds by drying the flowers. Some individuals require the oregano seeds to begin their oregano herb garden. You can also sell fresh bunches of oregano flowers.
For you to start this as a business, you must also be aware of the oregano plants that can flower. Most herbal gardeners are only aware of the Italian and Greek oregano.
The good news is that we have over 40 oregano species and varieties that can flower. We have 5 flowering oregano varieties:
- Turkish oregano
- Kent Beauty
- Hopley’s
- Dittany of Crete
- Jim’s Best
Conclusion
The oregano plant is a perennial herb, which means that it will grow back the following year. Therefore, you can use these flowers yearly and enjoy their benefits. With the above tips, now you can have a use for the oregano flowers. It is a treat to be able to regrow and use this herb yearly.
