Thyme |
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| Common Name | Thyme |
| Scientific Name | Thymus vulgaris |
| Pronounced "time", this popular herb is also called Common Thyme, Broad-leaf English Thyme, Black Thyme, Garden Thyme, Shepherd's Thyme, and Mother Thyme. Kipling wrote of the "wind-bit thyme that smells of dawn in Paradise," but he was hardly the first to sing its praises. Thyme was a favourite of the early Greeks and Romans, and the Roman poet Virgil praised honey drawn from thyme, saying the mountains "Hymettis in Greece and Hybla in Sicily were so famous for bees and honey because there grew such a store of thyme." Christian tradition holds that thyme was among the herbs in the manger bed where the Christ child lay. Herbalists considered thyme a strong antiseptic and thought it could calm the nerves, alleviate indigestion, and clear the mucous membranes. It was also thought to overcome shyness-the generic name Thymus is believed to be a derivation of the Greek thymon, which means "courage." | |
| Plant | Perennial, hardy to - 20ºF ( - 29ºC). There are many species, but common thyme (T vulgaris) is the one usually used for tea or seasoning. It is semi-woody, shrubby, and covered with 1/4-inch-long, oval, grey-green leaves. Small clusters of bluish-purple flowers appear at the ends of the stems from May to September. Seeds follow. |
| Height | 6 to 12 inches. |
| Soil | Dry, light, limy. |
| Exposure | Full sun. |
| Propagation | By seeds planted in spring and fall during the third lunar phase. They take about 2 weeks to germinate if kept at exactly 70ºF (27ºC), which isn't easy to do. Also by stem cuttings, layering, or division of roots, which is much easier. |
| Care | Space plants about 11/z feet apart. Thyme can't tolerate dampness, so be sure the site you choose is well drained. Rock gardens are an ideal spot. Thyme is called the "poor man's herb" because it needs no added nutrients aside from those in the soil it's planted in. Do keep it weeded, though. This herb is often companion-planted near cabbage because its scent helps control cabbage worms. Replace the plant with a younger one every 3 or 4 years, when it gets woody. |
| Part used for Tea | Leaves. |
| Taste | Pungent, spicy. |
| How to Brew | BY INFUSION: 1 teaspoon dried leaves and tops, or 3 teaspoons of fresh crushed herb, in 1 covered cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain and flavour with honey. A pinch of rosemary in the brew gives added zest. |
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