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Thymus herba-barona

Common name:	Caraway Thyme	Family:	Labiatae
Author:	Loisel.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. Europe - Mediterranean in Sardinia and Corsica.
Habitat:	Not known
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Caraway Thyme [H],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 0.05m by 0.3m . It is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies and Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds, In Walls, In South Wall, In East Wall, In West Wall, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Condiment.

The herb has a fragrance reminiscent of caraway seeds and is an excellent flavouring for soups, vegetables etc[183]. It is especially used with garlic[200]. 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[200].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiseptic; Deodorant; Disinfectant.

The leaves, and especially the essential oil contained in them, are strongly antiseptic, deodorant and disinfectant[200, 238]. 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[238].

Other Uses

Essential; Ground cover.

The essential oil obtained from the leaves is used in perfumery, as a mouth wash, medicinally etc[200].
Plants can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 30cm apart each way[208].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position. Succeeds in dry soils, tolerating drought once it is established[190]. Grows well between stepping stones on paths, tolerating light treading[183, 200]. Succeeds on walls. 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[238].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[200].
The leaves of the species have a delicious caraway scent[190]. There are some named varieties. 'Nutmeg' is fast growing and has a pronounced fragrance somewhat reminiscent of nutmeg[183]. 'Lemon Scented' has a strong lemon scent[200].
The flowers are rich in nectar and are very attractive to honey bees[200].
This is a very difficult genus taxonomically, the species hybridize freely with each other and often intergrade into each other[200].

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[200]. 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/June in a frame[200].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[200].
Layering.

Scent

Leaves: Crushed: The leaves of the species have a delicious caraway scent. There are also several cultivars with their own distinctive scent.

Cultivars

'Nutmeg': A fast growing form that has a pronounced fragrance somewhat reminiscent of nutmeg[183].
'Lemon Scented': The plant has a strong lemon scent[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[190] Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982 ISBN 0460045512
A good list of drought resistant plants with details on how to grow them.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.