Mexican oregano is native to the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Across these regions, it has many names – scented lippia, oregano cimarrón, Sonoron oregano, hierba dulce, redbrush lippia, scented matgrass, and Puerto Rican oregano.
Mexican Oregano, Lippia graveolens gives South-of-the-Border dishes subtle hints of citrus that are a compliment to spicy chilis used in South American and Tex-Mex cuisines. It’s frequently used in mole, beans, meats and many tomato-based sauces. This type of oregano became more popular in North America in the 70’s and 80’s with a rise in the popularity of Mexican food. Mexican oregano has a pungent oregano flavor with hints of mild licorice and belongs to the verbena family.