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Thymus x citriodorus

Common name:	Lemon Thyme	Family:	Labiatae
Author:	(Pers.)Schreb.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Thymus serpyllum citriodorum (Pers.), Thymus serpyllum citratus (West.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	A hybrid of garden origin between T. pulegioides and T. vulgaris.
Habitat:	Not known in the wild.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	T. pulegioides x T. vulgaris[H] T. serpyllum citriodorus[H] T. serpyllum var. citriodorus[H]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Lemon Thyme [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	citriodorus = lemon scented odorus = fragrant
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 0.1m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 7 and 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). It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 4/5 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 neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

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

Edible Uses

Leaves Tea.

Leaves - raw in salads or added as a flavouring to cooked foods[105, 183]. A delicious lemon flavour[K]. 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].
An aromatic tea is made from the leaves[21]. It has a pleasant lemon-like flavour and is very refreshing[183, 238].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiseptic Aromatherapy 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].
The leaves contain an antioxidant and regular use of the raw leaves has been shown to increase average life expectancy by about 10%.
The essential oil obtained from this plant is thought to be less irritant than other thyme oils and so it is used in aromatherapy to treat asthma and other respiratory complaints, especially in children[238].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Essential Ground cover Pot-pourri.

The essential oil obtained from the leaves and flowering stems is used in perfumery, as a mouth wash, medicinally etc[200].
The aromatic leaves are dried and used in pot-pourri and herbal pillows[238].
The plant makes an attractive ground cover for a sunny position[201]. They are best spaced about 30cm apart each way[208].

Cultivation details

Requires a light well-drained preferably calcareous soil in a sunny position[1, 200]. Succeeds in dry soils. 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].
Plants are hardy to about -15° c[200].
This is a very difficult genus taxonomically, the species hybridize freely with each other and often intergrade into each other[200].
Often cultivated in the herb garden for its leaves, there are some named varieties.
The flowers are rich in nectar and are very attractive to honey bees[200]. A good companion for most plants[54].

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. This species is a hybrid and will not breed true from seed.
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: When handled, the leaves emit a strong but pleasant scent of lemon.

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

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

References for Thymus serpyllum var. citriodorus (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

References for thymus x citriodorus (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

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

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[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.

[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.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[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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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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