Thymus capitatus
| Thymus capitatus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 6.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Thymus capitatus (common name: headed savory)
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[1]. 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[1].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[1].
Layering.
Cultivation: Prefers a light, well-drained calcareous soil and a sunny position[1]. 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[2].
Plants are hardy to about -10°c[1].
This species used to be cultivated as a culinary herb in the herb garden but it has now fallen into disuse[3].
The flowers are rich in nectar and are very attractive to honey bees[4][5][1][2]. The growing plant is a beneficial companion for most plants[6].
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[1].
Range: Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat: Dry, usually calcareous soils[8][9].
Edibility: The plant is sometimes used as a condiment[10].
An essential oil from the plant is used for flavouring baked goods, condiments, beverages, ice creams etc. It is called 'Spanish oregano oil'[10][2].
Leaves - raw in salads or added as a flavouring to cooked foods[3]. 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[1].
Medicinal: The leaves, and especially the essential oil contained in them, are strongly antiseptic, deodorant and disinfectant[1][2]. 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[2].
The essential oil should not be used in aromatherapy because it is highly irritant to the mucous membranes[2].
Usage: 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[11][12][4][13][1][2].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, lepidoptera
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Coridothymus capitatus. Satureia capitata.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ Niebuhr, Alta. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America, 1970.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press, 1980.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.