Thymus capitatus - Thyme

Thymus capitatus owes its name to the appearance of its inflorescences in tight heads of a pretty purple pink shade that resemble small clubs. This highly aromatic shrub is well known in aromatherapy, which uses the essential oil, with a strong, warm and pungent smell, extracted from its vegetation. In the garden, it forms an upright and branched ball, composed of white and rigid stems covered with small green, leathery and evergreen foliage that is covered with flowers in summer. This highly ornamental thyme, when in full bloom, is both a plant of choice for arid areas of the garden, difficult to vegetate, and one of the gems of the herb garden.

Native to the Mediterranean basin, and more specifically to Crete where it grows up to 1000m (3281ft) altitude, Thyme is a botanical species belonging to the Lamiaceae family, just like savory and oregano.  In nature, it is found in large colonies anchored in rocky, limestone and arid places burnt by the sun. This thyme slowly develops into a small rounded bush, with an upright and bushy habit. It reaches an average size of 45cm (18in) in all directions. Its white-silver, rigid branches bear small, narrow, green and leathery persistent leaves that release when crushed a powerful scent, both spicy and pungent reminiscent of mountain savory. In June-July, sometimes until September if the summer is not too dry, pretty conical inflorescences composed of tiny purple-pink flowers appear. This flowering, like that of all plants in the Lamiaceae family, attracts many pollinating insects. Extremely resistant to summer drought, this thyme may lose its foliage in case of intense drought, without harming to its health; it then reveals the beautiful pale structure of its branches. Thymus capitatus perishes below -12°C (10.4°F).

Thymus capitatus is above all a beautiful plant for sunny and dry soil, valuable for seaside or Mediterranean gardens spared by severe frost that can be fatal in poorly drained soil. It finds its place in rockeries, gravel beds, or even along pathways. It can be associated with other thyme species, marjoram (Origanum majorana), lavender, savory, rosemary, teucrium, gum cistus and other santolines to evoke the scrubland in an arid area of the garden. One of the charms of this type of landscape lies in the scents that all these plants release after a hot day: they blend together in a complex fragrance to be savoured with closed eyes: intense, captivating, it constitutes the quintessence of the Mediterranean countryside.

Properties and uses:

The essential oil of Thymus capitatus, to be used with caution, is reputed for its powerful anti-infectious properties. It is used to treat respiratory, urinary or even digestive disorders. Its effectiveness, due to its richness in carvacrol, has been scientifically proven against many bacterial, fungal or viral germs.

Like thyme, its leaves can be used in herbal tea to help fight against intestinal disorders. In cooking, its foliage adds a spicy note to dishes: it is used in the composition of za'atar, a condiment used throughout the eastern Mediterranean Basin.

In the mountains of Crete, a honey made from Thymus capitatus is produced: thick and dark, it is extremely fragrant.