Thyme thymus vulgaris, a shrub with a Mediterranean fragrance

Found from southern Europe to northern Africa, common thyme, Thymus vulgaris in Latin, evokes the sun, the garrigue and the Mediterranean basin. Highly prized in cooking, this aromatic member of the Lamiaceae family is also a frost-resistant ground cover plant.

How to recognize common thyme?

Common thyme is a perennial shrub that barely reaches 30 centimetres in height and a 25-centimetre spread. Its stems are woody at the base and herbaceous at the top. Its small size and dense, twisting branches give it a bushy, bushy habit.

Common thyme's leaves are oval and lanceolate with rolled edges. They are only six millimeters long and three millimeters wide. Green on top and gray on the reverse, they give the bush its green-gray hue. They give off a fragrance with notes of lemon and verbena.

The shrub blooms in spring. Pink or white flowers measuring between four and six millimeters bloom. They grow in groups of three in the axils of the upper leaves.

In marinades, bouquets garni, sauces or stuffings, common thyme is an essential ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, like oregano or Laurus nobilis leaves. It is also a medicinal plant with anti-infectious properties, used as an infusion or essential oil.

Our maintenance tips

Common thyme is a Mediterranean and rock garden plant. It thrives in poor soil, provided it has good drainage. Excess water is fatal: roots rot, leaves turn yellow and the plant dies.

Watering

Feed your Common thyme only when the substrate has dried thoroughly (at least five centimeters). Water generously with room-temperature rainwater and let the excess run off through the drainage holes.

Drain off any stagnant water in the dish or planter. It will rot the roots.

Spray

Your common thyme hates wet foliage. You must not mist the plant.

Repotting

Every spring, repot your Thymus vulgaris to give it more space.

In a pierced pot, pour clay balls or small pebbles to optimize drainage. Then pour in a layer of ordinary potting soil enriched with a little perlite or river sand. Plant your Common thyme, fill in with substrate and tamp.

Water to eliminate air bubbles and improve contact between roots and soil.

Harvest

You can harvest branches at any time. Dry them in the open air.

Prune

Prune just below the inflorescence with clean, sharp pruning shears. You can take advantage of this to give your Common thyme the shape you want (ball-shaped, hedge-shaped...).

Cut back any dead branches at the base of the shrub.

Plantation

When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.

Your Common thyme fears humidity. Plant it in a place where water doesn't stagnate, at the top of a slope, an embankment or in a rockery, for example.

Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball. You can place pebbles or clay balls at the bottom to improve drainage. Then lay down a layer of substrate. If your soil is light and chalky, you can use garden soil. If your soil is rich and heavy, use potting soil for cacti and succulents.

Plant your Common thyme and fill in with garden soil or substrate. Water to remove air bubbles and encourage rooting.

Cutting

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

Cut a ten- to fifteen-centimeter stem with a clean, sharp tool. Remove the base leaves, leaving only the upper pairs.

Line a small, perforated pot with potting soil for seedlings and cuttings. Using a pen or pick, make a pilot hole. Plant your cutting, taking care not to bury the leaves.

Place your cutting in a sunny spot and spray the substrate regularly with water to keep it moist.

Information

Family	Lamiaceae - Lamiaceae
Type	Thymus - Thymus
Species	Common thyme - Thymus vulgaris
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposure	Sun
Substrats	Calcareous earth Humus soil Sandy soil
Planting methods	Open ground In pots Planter
Category	Shrub
Tags	Beginner Rustic
Origins	North Africa Southern Europe
Hardiness (USDA)	7b
Leaf color
Flower colors