Wild thyme, Mother-of-thyme, Creeping thyme
Thymus praecox subsp. arcticus

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A small herb. It is hairy. It is a creeping plant. It can be woody and grow from year to year. It forms flat mats over the ground. The leaves are dark green. They are small and oval. They are about 10 mm long. They last for 2 to 3 years and are leathery. The flowers are white.

There are between 300 and 400 Thymus species.

Where it is found

An Arctic plant. It grows in dry sunny positions. It suits plant hardiness zone 5.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, Greenland, Iceland, North America, Switzerland

How it is used for food

It is used as a seasoning for salads, sauces, stews, seafood dishes, vinegar, stuffings and pickles. It is used to flavour sour milk. It is rubbed over goat's milk cheese to add flavour. It is the source of an essential oil used to flavour Benedictine.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Serpolet

Synonyms

Possibly now Thymus polytrichus ssp. britannicus;