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Origanum syriacum

Common name:	Bible Hyssop	Family:	Labiatae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	93, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. Europe - E. Mediterranean to W. Asia.
Habitat:	Calcareous rocks and slopes, often in partial shade, 200 - 2700 metres in Turkey[93].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Majorana syriaca[H] O. maru[H]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Syrian Of [H], True Za'tar [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	syriacum = from Syria
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from May to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Condiment.

The leaves and flowering tops are used as a seasoning, having a flavour reminiscent of a blend of thyme, marjoram and oregano[183]. The dried herb is sometimes mixed with sumac (from Rhus species) to form the spice blend known as 'zatar', this is used along with olive oil as a topping for breads[183]. The Bedouin grind the dried leaves, add salt and eat the dry mixture on bread[177, 183]. The leaves and flowering stems of this species are often dried and supplied commercially as 'oregano', a name that should more accurately be restricted to O. vulgare[238].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a rather dry, warm, well-drained soil, but is not fussy as to soil type, thriving on chalk[1]. Prefers slightly alkaline conditions[1].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of Britain, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10° c[200].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a greenhouse in early spring at 10 - 13° c and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer.
Division in March or October. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Basal cuttings of young barren shoots in June. Very easy. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Majorana syriaca (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[93] Davis. P. H. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh University Press 1965
Not for the casual reader, this is an immense work in many volumes. Some details of plant uses and habitats.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Origanum+syriacum
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Origanum+syriacum

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