Such color play, such fragrance, such texture. Kirigami is a fabulous ornamental oregano, the perfect choice for baskets and flowerpots where long, trailing stems in a wash of brilliant hues is sought.
The bracts on this plant are a combination of rich purple and green, while the blooms are a rich rosy shade of deep red. The show begins in late spring and continues all summer on plants that stand up to heat and humidity. Breathtaking.
Somewhat resembling hops, the bract-and-bloom laden stems are set among small, light green, heart-shaped ¾-inch leaves. This plant from seed is more dense and flower-filled than vegetative varietiesnot to mention less expensive. Kirigami reaches just 8 to 10 inches high but trails up to 14 inches long, with more fragrant blooms than you might believe possible.
Grow Kirigami as an annual north of its zone 5 hardiness range, bringing it indoors for winter or simply re-sowing in spring. The blooms are excellent in dried arrangements, their unusual shape adding hard-to-find texture to any display. And this plant is quite low maintenance, thriving even in dry soil to form a bushy, trailing plant.
Good drainage is essential to the success of Kirigami. If yours is in question, improve the soil with the addition of porous or gritty material. For best flowering, cut this plant to the ground in late fall.
