Oregano ‘Kirigami’ is a charming perennial sporting pendulous stems decorated with showy pink-tinged bracts and tiny purple flowers. Wonderful in hanging baskets and retaining walls where the foliage can cascade freely.

I remember seeing similar-looking plants in neighborhood rockeries and desperately wanted them – but I had no idea what kind of plants they were (perhaps this was before those plant identification apps hit the market). I discovered they were ornamental oregano after I happened upon a photo of ‘Kirigami’ while browsing a seed catalog. I promptly made a purchase.

My seed-starting efforts weren’t wildly successful, but I got a few plants going strong enough to plant out. Over the course of the summer, the hanging basket  I placed them in slowly filled out – somewhat lopsided, but that one side looked great! It overwintered successfully and is coming back into full flush in July of 2023.

I find the compacted leaf pattern of ‘Kirigami’ fascinating – it reminds me of a Slinky or some papery part decoration. And the soft limey green paired with pink and purple is just fantastic. I’m now on a quest to acquire more ornamental oregano cultivars and pepper them around the garden.