Thyme Description
Thyme is a woody, evergreen, perennial herb that thrives in fast draining soil. Thyme is in the mint family that has tiny, fragrant, green leaves with little flower clusters. It is native to the Mediterranean region and many varieties are used in cooking, teas, and natural oils. Ornamental varieties are popular for groundcover and border plants.
History of Thyme
Because thyme has a long, varied, and interesting story, I have decided to highlight just some of the more intriguing facts. I could spend many more hours investigating this fascinating plant, and I was surprised at how much this herb played such an important role in our recorded history.
Thyme’s interesting facts began in Greek mythology. Thyme was believed to have sprouted from the tears that fell to the ground from the weeping Helen of Troy during the Trojan War. As she continued to cry over the great losses during the war, her falling tears would cause the herb to bloom. Thyme was also considered a sacred herb dedicated to Aphrodite the goddess of love, beauty, and desire.
The Greek word Thymos means to smoke or offer as incense, and is a symbol of courage, strength, and sacrifice. The ancient Greeks believed so strongly in the power of thyme that it was used on the battle fields to restore physical strength and promote bravery. Soldiers were to rub the herb on their chests before battle and women would gift sprigs of thyme to honor courageous acts. There was a popular saying among the Greeks, “To smell of thyme.” This saying was used in the form of the highest of praise. Thyme was also important for ritual altar fires to purify sacred spaces, improve perception, and strength of mind. The ancient Greeks also believed that honey made from the flowers from thyme was the sweetest of all honey.
The ancient Romans adopted many of the same beliefs about thyme from the ancient Greeks. Soldiers were to bathe in thyme water before any battle to help with strength, vigor, and bravery. Soldiers and commanders would carry and exchange sprigs of thyme to show rectitude and promote courage. Pliny the Elder noted thyme’s antiseptic properties and used it to help heal coughs, stings, and wounds. Thyme was also burned in sacred spaces and homes to purify and cleanse the air. Inhaling the smoke was believed to evoke bravery and vitality. The ancient Romans believed thyme was sacred to their goddess, Venus the deity of love, beauty, and fertility. Ancient Romans also believed the smoke would drive away scorpions, snakes, and other venomous and unwanted creatures.
The ancient Egyptians used thyme during the mummification process. It was the key ingredient in their embalming fluid. Thyme was believed to stop the decomposition process and it helped mask the odor. The Egyptians believed the strong scent of thyme warded off evil spirits, purified the mummified body, and ensured safe passage to the afterlife. Beyond uses for preserving, the ancient Egyptians also used thyme in many healing mixtures utilizing its natural antiseptic and pain relieving qualities. While enjoying the strong scent, it was used in cosmetics and they felt it helped with health and strength.
During the Medieval Era women in France and England would embroider scarves with a bee hovering over a sprig of thyme to give to her knight for bravery. During the 15th and 17th centuries, thyme was used to help combat the plagues that were sweeping the nations. Thyme, on its own or mixed with honey, was believed to be a remedy for lung diseases.
More recently, thyme oil was used during World War I as an antiseptic on surgical bandages for treatments of battle wounds.
Today thyme is used fresh or dried in many culinary dishes. Fresh sprigs of thyme or dried leaves can be added to flavor roasted pork, chicken, potatoes or carrots, and soups. Tea made from fresh or dried leaves helps soothe coughs and relieves congestion (see my recipe for thyme tea and the end of the article). You can also add fresh thyme sprigs to a bowl of hot water to breathe in the steam to help clear your airways. Another use for fresh thyme is in bundles to help repel moths.
Varieties of Thyme
There are hundreds of varieties of thyme to choose from. Here are a few of the most popular varieties in each category.
Upright Culinary
- English (Common) – robust, classic flavor ideal for soups, stews, and meats. Grows upright with grey/green leaves.
- French (Summer) – milder, sweeter flavor. Grows upright with narrow light green leaves.
- German (Winter) – hardy, withstands colder winters while maintaining strong flavor. Grows upright with small green leaves.
Citrus Scented
- Lemon – strong, citrus flavor great with chicken, seafood, and teas
- Orange – sweet orange aroma great for garnishes and teas. Plants grow on compact plants.
- Lime – subtle citrus scent with lime green leaves.
Creeping and Ornamental
- Woolly – Fuzzy, grey/green leaves that form a mat. Perfect for planting between pavers because it can handle light foot traffic.
- Elfin – One of the smallest, slowest growing thyme varieties with lavender flowers.
- Red Creeping – dense, colorful groundcover producing bright magenta pink blooms in early summer.
- Caraway – low growing dense mat with dark green leaves that smell like caraway.
Thyme Care
Thyme prefers light fast draining soil. The preferred soil texture would be gritty, sandy and loamy. Mix in sand or perlite to improve drainage. Thyme prefers poor to moderately fertile soil, and does not like rich compost or heavy fertilizer, which reduces flavor. When planted in a pot, make sure it is well draining such as terra cotta. If planted in the ground make sure the water flows away from the plant so it does not become overly saturated, it is very susceptible to root rot.
Thyme has a moderate growth rate and can tolerate frost, drought, and salty conditions. It is considered to be non-invasive and has a life span of up to 25 years.
Thyme does best growing in sunny locations.
Thyme Propagation
Thyme can be propagated in many ways: seed starting, cuttings, and layering.
The seeds from thyme plants are very tiny. I like to lightly sprinkle the seeds over moist, seed starting soil. Then, I lightly press the seeds into the soil and mist with a spray bottle a couple of times a day. You do not want the soil to dry out on the top where your seeds are. The seeds will sprout within 7-10 days.
Thyme can also be propagated from cuttings. This is the same process you would do with other herbs such as basil. Take a fairly long cutting of 4-6 inches, leave a few leaves at the top of your cutting, and strip away the rest of the leaves. Next, place the cutting in a cup or bowl of fresh water. Regularly replace the water and within 2-4 weeks your cutting will have brand new roots.
The last method of propagating thyme is layering. Layering is a fun way to experiment with propagating. This method is similar to propagating strawberries. First, select a long, flexible branch of thyme. Do not cut this branch from the mother plant. You will need to leave a few leaves at the top of the stem, then strip the rest of the leaves off of the branch. Next, place the branch on the soil and use something such as a landscape staple or paperclip to secure the branch to the soil. Keep the soil moist and in 4-12 weeks new roots will begin to sprout.
Companion Planting with Thyme
Thyme is an excellent companion plant with other plants that enjoy full sun, warm temperatures, and well draining soil. This would be most of your mediterranean style plants such as: lavender, rosemary, sage, and oregano. Other plants would be: strawberries, tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower.
Plants that are not compatible with thyme, would be plants that require moist soil like: basil, cilantro, mint, chives, and parsley.
Quick Facts: Thyme
| Plant Type | Perennial herb |
| Mature Size | 6” – 12” tall, 12” – 18” wide |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |
| Soil Type | Light, fast draining soil |
| Bloom Time | Late spring through mid-summer |
| Flower Color | Pink, purple, lavendar, white, magenta red |
| Flower Shape | Tiny clusters with delicate, sweet fragrance |
| Pollinator Friendly | Yes |
| Cold Hardiness Zones | 4 – 9 |
| Drought-Tolerant | Yes |
| Propagate | Seeds, cuttings, layering |
| Unique Characteristics | Using rich compost or heavy fertilizer can reduce the flavor Thyme is frost tolerant and can survive light snow There are 400 varieties of thyme |
Thyme Tea
| This is my favorite tea for when we have a cough, cold, or the flu. What you will need: (10) 2” – 3” sprigs of lemon thyme 8 cups of water Per tea cup: 1-2 tsp. honey 1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice Bring the water to a boil and steep the thyme sprigs for a minimum of 20 minutes. While the thyme is steeping, I like to add the lemon juice and honey to each of the tea cups. Once the hot thyme water is ready, then divide the water among your 4 tea cups and enjoy! Adjust the amount of lemon juice and honey to your liking. This makes enough tea for 4 people. |
I really hope you enjoyed learning more about the herb thyme as much as I did!
Enjoy your garden and I hope you decide to give growing thyme a try!
Joy Simper has a full time job as a home schooling stay at home mom. She is the one that holds the house and yard together and keeps the kids in line. She enjoys gardening, including seed starting and propagating plants.