🌿 When to Plant Oregano

A perennial that gets more flavorful with less water. Pick your zone below for exact dates, or read the quick reference.

Season type
Cool-season
hardy
Spacing
10″ / 15″
plants / rows
Days to maturity
80–90
from transplant

Like thyme, oregano wants sun, lean soil, and to be left alone — flavor concentrates when it grows a little hard. Cut it back before flowering for the best leaves and it returns for years.

Oregano planting windows by zone

ZoneMain planting window
Zone 1 Jun 15 – Jun 29 transplant outdoors
Zone 2 May 30 – Jun 13 transplant outdoors
Zone 3 May 15 – May 29 transplant outdoors
Zone 4 May 5 – May 19 transplant outdoors
Zone 5 Apr 22 – May 6 transplant outdoors
Zone 6 Apr 10 – Apr 24 transplant outdoors
Zone 7 Mar 30 – Apr 13 transplant outdoors
Zone 8 Mar 15 – Mar 29 transplant outdoors
Zone 9 Feb 20 – Mar 6 transplant outdoors
Zone 10 Jan 25 – Feb 8 transplant outdoors
Zone 11 Coolest months (Oct–Mar) frost-free
Zone 12 Coolest months (Oct–Mar) frost-free
Zone 13 Coolest months (Oct–Mar) frost-free

Each zone link above has the complete schedule — indoor seed-starting, and season-fit notes. Zone dates are typical medians; for windows built on your own city's frost dates, use the frost date lookup and planting calendar.