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Thymus serpyllum - L.

Wild Thyme

Author	L.	Botanical references	11, 17, 200
Family	Labiatae	Genus	Thymus
Synonyms	Thymus angustifolius - Pers.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to France, Hungary and Roumania.
Habitat	Dry stony ground, open sandy heaths and grassland in East Anglia[7, 13, 17].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	3 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Shrub growing to 0.1m by 0.3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats

Ground Cover; Lawn; Cultivated Beds; East Wall In; South Wall In; West Wall In;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves.

Edible Uses: Tea.

Leaves - raw in salads or added as a flavouring to cooked foods[2, 11, 46, 61]. 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[200]. An aromatic tea is made from the leaves[21].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Anthelmintic; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic; Carminative; Deodorant; Diaphoretic; Disinfectant; Expectorant; Sedative; Tonic.

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[4, 165, 200, 238, 254]. It is taken internally in the treatment of bronchitis, catarrh, laryngitis, flatulent indigestion, painful menstruation, colic and hangovers[238]. It is said to be effective in treating alcoholism[238]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[238]. Externally, it is applied to minor injuries, mastitis, mouth, throat and gum infections etc[238]. 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[238]. The seeds are used as a vermifuge[240]. Wild thyme contains all the medicinal properties of the more commonly used garden thyme (T. vulgaris), though in a lesser degree[4]. An essential oil distilled from the leaves is used in the treatment of stress-related conditions, though it can cause allergic reactions[238].

Other Uses

Disinfectant; Essential; Fungicide; Ground cover; Repellent.

An essential oil from the leaves and flowering tops is used in perfumery, soaps, medicinally etc. It has fungicidal and disinfectant properties[4, 7]. About 150 grams of oil are obtained from 100 kilos of plant material[4]. The dried flowers are used to repel moths from clothing[4]. The growing plant is said to repel cabbage root fly[18, 20]. A good ground cover for a sunny position[197]. It needs weeding for the first year or so[197]. Plants are best spaced about 45cm apart each way[208]. Plants are only satisfactory when young or growing luxuriantly - they are apt to become bare in patches otherwise[208].

Scented Plants

Leaves: Crushed

The bruised leaves are very aromatic.

Cultivation details

Requires a light well-drained preferably calcareous soil in a sunny position[1, 200]. Succeeds in dry soils[4]. Grows well between stepping stones on paths, tolerating light treading[183, 200]. 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[238]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[200]. This is a very difficult genus taxonomically, the species hybridize freely with each other and often intergrade into each other[200]. This species is harvested commercially for its essential oil, known as 'wild thyme'[218]. Closely related to T. praecox arcticus, but this species is not so common in Britain[11]. It is a very polymorphic plant. A good companion for most other plants[54], it makes a very good carpeting plant for the rockery or between paving stones[1] and can also be grown in a short lawn[54]. The flowers are rich in nectar and are very attractive to honey bees[200], the plant also attracts butterflies[4, 7, 24].

Propagation

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[200]. 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[200]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[200]. Layering.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Ground cover plants..

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[24] Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden. 0
Fairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. 0
An excellent small herbal.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[197] Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. 1989 ISBN 0-304-31089-1
A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Thymus serpyllum

Christel Peart Thu Jul 20 2006

I want to grow it between paving stones. How do I start it off???? Please help!!!! Christel Peart Guildford, UK

Thymus serpyllum

Joel Mon Oct 8 2007

I want to make a full lawn with it, avoiding grass. I live in the South of France and it's always sunny and dry and hot in summer. My soil is rocky except for the surface. Suggestions. I planted two small samples two weeks ago. Thanks, Joel.

Thymus serpyllum

Jennifer Watson Thu Dec 13 2007

I am wanting to know the difference between T. serpyllum and T. pulegioides! How can you tell them apart visually? And can they be used interchangeable medicinally? Thank you so much for any help. Jennifer Watson jwatson@holdenarb.org

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