Herb: Camphor Thyme


Latin name: Thymus camphoratus


Family: Labiatae



Medicinal use of Camphor Thyme:

An essential oil obtained from the plant contains thymol, which is 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.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
40 cm
(1 foot)

Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Dry sandy places and bushy places.

Other uses of Camphor Thyme:

The essential oil obtained from the leaves is also used in perfumery, as a mouth wash, medicinally etc.

Propagation of the herb:

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

Cultivation of Camphor Thyme:

Dry sandy places and bushy places.

Known hazards of Thymus camphoratus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.