Description: Garden thyme, a small shrubby plant with a strong, spicy taste and odor, is extensively cultivated for culinary use. The numerous quadrangular procumbent, woody stems grow from 6 to 10 inches high and are finely hairy. Slightly downy on top and very downy underneath, the opposite,
sessile leaves are ovate to lanceolate in shape and have slightly rolled edges. The small bluish-purple, two-lipped flowers are whorled in dense, head-like clusters, blooming from May to September.
Properties and Uses: Anthelmintic, antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant, sedative. As a tincture, extract, or infusion, thyme is commonly used in throat and bronchial problems, including acute bronchitis, laryngitis and whooping cough, and also for diarrhea, chronic gastritis and lack of appetite. For coughs and spasmodic complaints, make the medication from the fresh plant. A warm infusion promotes perspiration and relieves flatulence and colic. Oil of thyme (thymol) has a powerful antiseptic action for which it is used in mouthwashes and toothpastes. Thymol is also effective against ascarids and hookworms. As a local irritant, it can be used externally for warts or to encourage the flow of blood to the surface. Thyme baths are said to be helpful for neurasthenia, rheumatic problems, paralysis, bruises, swellings and sprains. A salve made from thyme can be used for shingles.
CAUTION: Excessive internal use of thyme can lead to symptoms of poisoning and to overstimulation of the thyroid gland.