Plants
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris · Lamiaceae
Thyme is the least complicated of the Mediterranean kitchen herbs: winter-hardy, evergreen, bee-friendly and loyal for years in pot or bed. Its tiny, aromatic leaves belong in French and Italian cooking alike — and in summer its pink-violet bloom turns the little subshrub into a bee pasture.
- Light
- Full sun — thyme needs the brightest spot you have.
- Watering
- Sparingly — short dry spells are no problem, waterlogging very much is.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Thymus vulgaris
The genus is huge, but a few groups have proven themselves for pot and kitchen: common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the savoury classic, lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) adds a fresh citrus note and pretty variegated varieties, and creeping sand and wild thyme work as tread-tolerant ground cover and rockery plants.
Its secret of success is frugality: thyme grows best on lean, chalky, free-draining soils and rewards any restraint with fertiliser with a more intense aroma. Rich, humus-laden soil and frequent watering make it soft and reduce its essential oil content — the most common mistake in pot culture.
It is happiest at a south window, on a sunny balcony or in the herb spiral. In a pot, a drainage layer of expanded clay or gravel is mandatory, plus herb soil leaned down with a third of sand. Winter wet is more dangerous than frost: a spot under the eaves protects planted-out and potted specimens alike.
It can be harvested year-round; the shoot tips are most aromatic just before flowering. Cutting it back by about a third after flowering keeps the subshrub compact and prevents it going bare from the inside — as with rosemary, do not cut into old, leafless wood.
In floristry we like to use thyme sprigs in herb bouquets and summery, country-style arrangements: they smell wonderful, last well and pair with lavender, chamomile and ornamental grasses. Thyme is safe for pets — cats and dogs may sniff at it with impunity.
Is Thyme toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
As a culinary and medicinal herb thyme is harmless to people and is also considered non-toxic to cats and dogs. Only concentrated thyme essential oil is unsuitable for animals — the plant itself is harmless.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01A full-sun, warm position — the sunnier, the more savoury the leaves.
- 02Use lean, free-draining substrate with added sand; put a drainage layer in the pot.
- 03Water only moderately and let the root ball dry out in between.
- 04Hardly any feeding — one small dose in spring is enough.
- 05Cut back by a third after flowering, never into old wood.
- 06Protect potted plants from constant winter wet; otherwise thyme is reliably frost-hardy.
Frequently asked
- Is thyme winter-hardy?
- Yes, common thyme is reliably winter-hardy in Germany and even stays evergreen. Frost is less of a danger to it than winter wet: move potted plants against a rain-sheltered wall and raise them on feet so water can drain. Lemon thyme is somewhat more sensitive and appreciates a cover of brushwood.
- Why is my thyme going woody and bare inside?
- That is the natural course for subshrubs that never get pruned. Regularly cutting back by a third after flowering keeps the plant young and dense. If the thyme is already badly bared, only staged rejuvenation or replanting helps — it hardly re-sprouts from leafless old wood.
- Is thyme toxic to cats or dogs?
- No, thyme is considered non-toxic to cats and dogs. As a herb it is even used in small amounts in pet food. A pot of thyme on the balcony or windowsill is completely unproblematic for pet households.
- When and how is thyme best harvested?
- In principle all year round, since thyme is evergreen. The shoot tips are most aromatic on sunny mornings just before flowering — the ideal moment to cut a supply for drying. Always cut whole sprig tips rather than plucking individual leaves.