Origanum majorana Pagoda Bells - Sweet Marjoram

Origanum majorana Pagoda Bells is a superb recent variety of marjoram, an aromatic herb with a powerful and subtle fragrance. Throughout the summer, its flowers are surrounded by large jade green and pink bracts. You can use it in a pot or in a rockery (in mild climates, as it is rather sensitive to cold) in a dry and chalky soil, in the sun.

The Pagoda Bells marjoram ('Lizbell') is one of the many representatives of the Lamiaceae family, in which you can find numerous aromatic herbs such as lavender, thyme, rosemary... All these plants produce large quantities of essential oils which aim to repel pests and provide a screen against the sun's rays, like a sunscreen. However, in the garden, these substances mainly bring joy to our noses (and for some, to our taste buds)!

Pagoda Bells forms a compact clump, about 25cm (10in) tall and 30cm (12in) wide. Its leaves, very round, are of a beautiful jade green colour and are powerfully aromatic. This variety has the particularity of producing countless trailing inflorescences between June and October. While the flowers are tiny and not very interesting, the bracts (i.e. the leaves that surround the flowers) are tinged with purplish pink and give all the charm to this cultivar, which remains very attractive to pollinators.

Pagoda Bells, like all marjorams, appreciates rather dry and rocky, poor and chalky soils, in full sun, in order to produce maximum aroma. It also requires very good drainage, otherwise its roots may rot. Finally, note that marjorams are quite sensitive to cold: they die beyond -8 to -10°C (17.6 to 14°F) in general. So you will keep it under greenhouse during the cold season, unless you live in a region with mild winters. It is easy to grow in a pot, but also consider using it in hanging baskets, as its habit lends itself particularly well to it.

Associate it with other rockery plants such as thymes, savory, Erodiums, or even Catananches, for a guaranteed Mediterranean effect!