Wild Thyme

Wild Thyme Description

As this plants names suggests, Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is an individual species of thyme. It grows natively in northern parts of Africa and throughout Europe. Wild Thyme is also commonly referred to as Creeping Thyme.

Wild Thyme is a low-growing sub-shrub that rarely grows over 2 cm, but does sport creeping stems that can reach 10 cm. The leaves on the stems are oval-shaped and grow to about 5 mm in length. The clustered flowers on Wild Thyme are a light lilac to a magenta color. White flowers have also been seen but are rare. The flowers have a strong scent of lemon or a basic herbal smell.

Wild Thyme is used in herbal medicine by extracting oil of Serpolet. The leaves of this herb are also used in herbal teas. Honeybees and the large Blue Butterfly use Wild Thyme as a source of nectar, with the Blue Butterfly feeding exclusively on it.