American Dittany is a fragrant native herbaceous perennial of the mint family. The genus name cunila is Latin for marjoram. The species names origanoides is from origanum which means "like oregano." Its common name, Dittany, comes from diktamnon which is the Greek name for a similar mint plant Origanum dictamnus, Dittany of Crete. American Dittany is found in the central and eastern parts of the United States. The flowers appear in small purplish lavender clusters that bloom from August to September. The easiest way to propagate this plant is by stem cuttings in the spring and summer. Typically roots will form on the stem cuttings in about 7-10 days. The plant may also be easily divided in the summer. The plant attracts bees, butterflies, and skippers for nectar and for pollination. American Dittany prefers dry and shallow rocky soil and full sun to part shade. They perform best as an interesting border plant and are a good option for native gardens, naturalized areas, herb gardens, or rock gardens. American Dittany's showy lavender flowers and fragrant green leaves in the early fall are a welcome contrast in color from the typical autumnal colors. During frosts in the fall, American Dittany may also form "frost-like" flowers which result from the bursting and freezing of exposed sap pushed out from its stems. Use in the pollinator, drought-tolerant and rock gardens. Also on slopes and banks and naturalized areas. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 9 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 0 ft. 9 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Creeping
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf value
Edible
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leaves range in color from yellowish-green, medium green, to dark green. They are small, opposite, lanceolate or ovate with pointed tips and cordate bases The leaf margins are slightly toothed. There is soft hair along major leaf veins. The leaf venation is pinnate. The leaves have a strong mint fragrance when crushed. In the fall after the first frost, the leaves change from dark green to deep reddish-purple.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers appear in small clusters of typically purplish lavender on the tips of the stems or in the leaf axils. Each 1/4 to 1/3 inch flower is tubular in shape and has 2 upper lobed and 3 lower lobed tiny lips. The corolla is pink or lavender but rarely white. There are soft hairs along the outside of the lobes. The filaments of the stamen are white to light purple. The anthers are pink to lavender, but as the flower ages, they turn brown. The style is white to light purple. The flowers bloom from late summer to mid-autumn and generally last 1.5 months ( August to September).
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Schizocarp
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
In the fall after the blossoms fade, each flower will form 4 tiny dark brown nutlets that are 1 mm long and 0.7 mm wide. They are ellipsoid in shape and have 3 blunt angles. Due to their tiny dust-like size, they are easily blown away by the wind.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The four sided stems are long and wiry. The stem surface is smooth to slightly hairy. The color of the stem is purplish-green to dark reddish-purple.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
U.S. native
Distribution
AL, AR, DL, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
Wildlife value
Bees, butterflies, and skippers are attracted to this plant for nectar and for pollination.