Acinos arvensis
| Acinos arvensis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 0.5' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Acinos arvensis (common name: basil thyme)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a cold frame. If you have sufficient seed then you could try sowing in situ in April or May. Germination should take place within a month. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring.
Basal cuttings in late spring. Very easy[K].
Cultivation: Succeeds in any well-drained soil[1], though it prefers a light well-drained dry soil in full sun[2][3]. Prefers sandy and alkaline growing conditions[3]. Dislikes shade.
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -15°c[3].
A short-lived perennial, but the plants usually self-sow when they are growing in a suitable position[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia to the Mediterranean and east to W. Asia.
Habitat: Dry sunny banks and in fields on chalky, gravelly and sandy soils[4].
Edibility: The flowering tops are used as a flavouring[5][6][7] and in salads[3]. Said to be similar to thyme in odour but milder and more pleasant[7]. The plant is only faintly aromatic and does not really make a very good substitute for thyme[3][K].
Medicinal: Basil thyme was a great favourite of the ancient herbalists, though it is little used medicinally at present[5]. The herb is diuretic, odontalgic, rubefacient and stomachic[5][8][3]. The essential oil has been applied externally as a rubefacient, whilst one drop of it put into a decayed tooth is said to alleviate the pain[5]. The plant has also been added to bath water, especially for children, and is said to be a strengthener and nerve soother[5].
The flowering plant is harvested in the summer and is normally used fresh in infusions[3].
Usage: The plant makes a good ground cover[1].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: A. thymoides. Calamintha acinos. Satureia acinos.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.