Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
Botanical family: Lamiaceae
A small subshrub of the Mediterranean scrubland (Thymus vulgaris, Lamiaceae), thyme forms low, aromatic, very hardy cushions on dry, chalky soils. A nectar-bearing ground cover, it feeds bees and butterflies and withstands drought once established. The thymol in its leaves earns it a long tradition of culinary and medicinal use.
Full sun
Dry, chalky
Very sparing once established, a garrigue (scrubland) plant
Very hardy
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
A mat-forming subshrub that builds low, dense cushions, thyme acts in the dry garden as a living ground cover: it clothes rockeries, paving, banks and the feet of other aromatics, limits evaporation and holds the ground in place of weeds. Its flowering is highly melliferous, as thyme honey attests, and feeds honeybees, bumblebees and butterflies on the dry, chalky, poor soils where it thrives. Very hardy and drought-tolerant once established, it structures Mediterranean edges without watering. It is traditionally grown alongside cabbages and vegetable crops, its aromatic foliage reputed to help confuse pests and diversify the scents of the bed.
Good companions
Traditional companion planting (benefit not demonstrated)
Insects attracted or useful
Seasons & availability
Evergreen: available all year round.
Available: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- RHS, « How to Grow Thyme » (rhs.org.uk/herbs/thyme/grow-your-own)
- La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, « Réussir la culture du thym » (fermedesaintemarthe.com/en/blogs/comment-reussir-la-culture-de/reussir-la-culture-du-thym)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Thyme essential oil rich in thymol or carvacrol is skin-caustic and hepatotoxic at high dose, reserved for supervised use (never neat on the skin, never internally without advice). Avoid in pregnancy for the concentrated forms. Culinary use and light infusion without problem.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find thyme in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Family behaviour: Lamiaceae
In general, Lamiaceae are aromatics (basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, lemon balm, savory). Their essential oils are reputed to bother some insects, but in a trial cited by Parker et al. (2013), sage, thyme and mint planted near cabbages did not reduce their pests. Their flowers are much visited by pollinators.
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Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Species
Common varieties
Key takeaways
- • Prefers full sun exposure.
- • Ideal soil: dry, chalky.
- • Classic companion: Cabbage.