Wild Thyme
Thymus serpyllum
Family: Lamiaceae or Labiatae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Purple. Main Bloom Time: Early summer. Form: Prostrate, Spreading or horizontal.
Thymus serpyllum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.1
Where it is found
Dry stony ground, open sandy heaths and grassland in East Anglia.
Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to France, Hungary and Roumania.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canada, China, East Africa, Estonia, Ethiopia, Europe*, Eurasia, Hawaii, Hungary, Iceland, India, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar, North America, Norway, Pacific, Poland, Spain, Tasmania, Turkey, USA,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Leaves - raw in salads or added as a flavouring to cooked foods. Thyme retains its flavour well in long slow cooking. If the leaves are to be dried, the plants should be harvested in early and late summer just before the flowers open and the leaves should be dried quickly. An aromatic tea is made from the leaves.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 3
Wild thyme is a commonly used domestic remedy, being employed especially for its antiseptic properties and its beneficial effect on the digestive system. The whole plant is anthelmintic, strongly antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, deodorant, diaphoretic, disinfectant, expectorant, sedative and tonic. It is taken internally in the treatment of bronchitis, catarrh, laryngitis, flatulent indigestion, painful menstruation, colic and hangovers. It is said to be effective in treating alcoholism. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women. Externally, it is applied to minor injuries, mastitis, mouth, throat and gum infections etc. The plant can be used fresh at any time of the year, or it can be harvested as it comes into flower and either be distilled for the oil or dried for later use. The seeds are used as a vermifuge. Wild thyme contains all the medicinal properties of the more commonly used garden thyme (T. vulgaris), though in a lesser degree. An essential oil distilled from the leaves is used in the treatment of stress-related conditions, though it can cause allergic reactions.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Deodorant: Masks smells. Is this medicinal?
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Disinfectant: Used for cleaning wounds.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 5
An essential oil from the leaves and flowering tops is used in perfumery, soaps, medicinally etc. It has fungicidal and disinfectant properties. About 150 grams of oil are obtained from 100 kilos of plant material. The dried flowers are used to repel moths from clothing. The growing plant is said to repel cabbage root fly. A good ground cover for a sunny position. It needs weeding for the first year or so. Plants are best spaced about 45cm apart each way. Plants are only satisfactory when young or growing luxuriantly - they are apt to become bare in patches otherwise. Summer flowers bring bees. Perennial groundcover for zone 2 firebreaks. The US government has created a system of firebreaks for areas prone to wildfires, theses are separated into concentric zones surrounding buildings. Zone 2 is the second away from the house. These low-level groundcovers provide little fuel.
Deodorant: A pleasant smelling plant that is used on the body to mask the human smell.
Disinfectant: Plants used for disinfecting.
Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
Fungicide: Arrests the growth of, or kills, fungi.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Ground cover: Ground Cover
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Container, Ground cover, Rock garden, Seashore. Requires a light well-drained preferably calcareous soil in a sunny position. Succeeds in dry soils. Grows well between stepping stones on paths, tolerating light treading. Succeeds on walls. Thymes dislike wet conditions, especially in the winter. A layer of gravel on the soil around them will help protect the foliage from wet soils. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. This is a very difficult genus taxonomically, the species hybridize freely with each other and often intergrade into each other. This species is harvested commercially for its essential oil, known as 'wild thyme'. Closely related to T. praecox arcticus, but this species is not so common in Britain. It is a very polymorphic plant. A good companion for most other plants, it makes a very good carpeting plant for the rockery or between paving stones and can also be grown in a short lawn. The flowers are rich in nectar and are very attractive to honey bees, the plant also attracts butterflies. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Edible, Fragrant foliage, Not North American native, Suitable for dried flowers. Heat Zone 9-1.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Seed can also be sown in autumn in a greenhouse. Surface sow or barely cover the seed. Germination can be erratic. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring. Cuttings of young shoots, 5 - 8cm with a heel, May/June in a frame. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Layering.
Best place to grow: Ground Cover; Lawn; Cultivated Beds; East Wall. In. South Wall. In. West Wall. In.
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Creeping thyme. Balma jhar, Banajawain, Csombor, Cubra, Kakukkbora, Kalandar zatar, Marizha, Masho, Rang sbur, Samon-phyu-yaing, Shakei, Wild thyme,
Synonyms
T. angustifolius.