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Common Name: Headed Savory

General Information

Thymus capitatus is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 0.25 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe - Mediterranean.

Habitat

Dry, usually calcareous soils[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.25 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

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

Medicinal

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

Other Uses

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[, , , , , ].

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