

How to identify Sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Sweet marjoram, also known as Pot marjoram
Sweet marjoram is an edible sub-shrub with a bushy habit, featuring aromatic leaves that are used to enhance flavor in various culinary dishes. The foliage is typically lush green, and the plant can reach up to 2 feet (60 cm) in height. Its small, tubular flowers can be a soft purple or white, forming in tight, knot-like clusters. The leaves are slightly furry to touch and oval in shape, and they are best harvested before sweet marjoram blooms in the summer to capture their mild, sweet flavor. This plant thrives in full sunlight in well-drained neutral to alkaline soils.
Aromatic, oval, slightly furry leaves with a mild, sweet flavor before blooming.
Tiny white or pale pink tubular flowers in dense, fragrant spikes.
Small, dry, single-seeded nutlet fruit in pairs among the foliage.
Square stem with burgundy streaks, fine hairs, and branching opposite pattern.
Prominent, ovate, green leaves with fuzzy texture and visible longitudinal veins.
The leaves of sweet marjoram are ovate and occur oppositely along the stem. Each leaf is approximately 1 1/4 inches (3.2 cm) long, and they are egg-shaped. The leaves are covered in fine hairs, giving them a slightly fuzzy texture. They are a vibrant green color and are highly fragrant. The veins are prominent, running longitudinally along the length of the leaf, adding to the distinctive characteristics ideal for identification.
Sweet marjoram features tiny white or pale pink, two-lipped tubular flowers clustered in dense spikes. Each flower measures approximately 0.1 inches (2-3 mm) in length. The flowers emerge from hairy, egg-shaped bracts, creating a layered inflorescence structure. Blooming from July to August, these flowers form tightly packed arrangements, emphasizing their small, delicate nature. The spikes, which are 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long, provide a subtle yet distinct fragrance.
The stem of sweet marjoram is characterized by its distinctive square shape and a dense covering of fine hairs. These stems often display striking burgundy streaks running along their length, enhancing their visual identification. The stems are of moderate thickness, typically measuring around 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 7 mm) in diameter. They exhibit a branching pattern that is both opposite and decussate, which means branches are paired and arranged in a cross-like pattern at each node.
The fruit of sweet marjoram is a small, oval-shaped nutlet that typically measures just a few millimeters in length. Its texture is dry and smooth, with a brown to grayish hue upon maturity. Each fruit is a single-seeded, indehiscent unit, meaning it does not naturally split open to release its seed. Sweet marjoram's fruit is often found in pairs, and while diminutive, it features prominently amidst the foliage when observed closely, serving as an important identification characteristic.
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Scientific Classification of Sweet marjoram