Practical
Plants

Thymus capitatus

Headed Savory

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Thymus genus in the family Labiatae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Genus
Thymus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.25 m
Spread
0.25 m
Fertility
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is sometimes used as a condiment[3]. An essential oil from the plant is used for flavouring baked goods, condiments, beverages, ice creams etc. It is called 'Spanish oregano oil'[3][6]. Leaves - raw in salads or added as a flavouring to cooked foods[4]. An aromatic tea is made from the leaves. 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[5].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Tea
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves, and especially the essential oil contained in them, are strongly antiseptic, deodorant and disinfectant[5][6]. 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[6]. The essential oil should not be used in aromatherapy because it is highly irritant to the mucous membranes[6].

Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Deodorant
Product or use
Disinfectant

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The essential oil, known as 'Spanish oregano oil', obtained from the leaves is also used in perfumery and soaps, as a mouth wash, medicinally etc[9][12][13][1][5][6].

Product or use
Essential

Environment

Range
Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat
Dry, usually calcareous soils[8][10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a light, well-drained calcareous soil and a sunny position[5]. 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[6]. Plants are hardy to about -10°c[5]. This species used to be cultivated as a culinary herb in the herb garden but it has now fallen into disuse[4]. The flowers are rich in nectar and are very attractive to honey bees[13][2][5][6]. The growing plant is a beneficial companion for most plants[11]. The plant is powerfully pungent when handled[7]. This is a very difficult genus taxonomically, the species hybridize freely with each other and often intergrade into each other[5].

References

  1. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩

  2. Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America. 1970-00-00

    ↩

  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  4. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10

  6. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  7. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  8. Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-19-217626-9

    ↩

  9. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  10. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  11. Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-584-10141-4

    ↩

  12. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

    ↩

  13. Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1

    ↩1↩2

Edit this page