Thymus vulgaris & T. serpyllum (Labiatae)

GARDEN THYME & WILD THYME

Flowering thyme is one of the oldest herbal remedies; it is given for coughs, bronchitis, and indigestion. A natural antiseptic, it is also used as a gargle for throat infections and as an infusion to disinfect wounds.

Both a common culinary herb and one of the most useful household medicines, thyme was known in ancient Rome as the source of the best honey in Athens and was often used as an insecticide by burning the leaves. Throughout history it has been used for coughs, lung infections and stomach complaints, and in the 18th century the volatile oil, thymol, was isolated and discovered to be one of the most powerful natural antiseptics. Native to the mountains of southern Europe, thyme is a creeping aromatic perennial with thin wiry stems and small, oblong, succulent leaves. Its flowers appear in early summer as clusters of small, pinkish blooms.

PARTS USED

Whole herb, collected in flower.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Volatile oil containing thymol, carvacrol, cineole, borneol, linalool, and pinene; flavonoids, apigenin and luteolin; tannins.

ACTIONS

Antiseptic; expectorant; relieves wind and colic; reduces muscle tension and spasm.

MEDICINAL USE

Used as an expectorant for whooping cough, bronchitis and congested lungs, as a gargle for throat and mouth infections, and to help settle indigestion and flatulence. It can be applied as a disinfectant and to heal wounds.

PREPARATIONS

Infusion, oil, tincture.