Mother of thyme may be added to stews and soups for flavoring purposes. Despite its fragile appearance, this vigorous herb does best in average soil. In fact, too much fertilizer or water can harm the plant by making it grow too quickly, risking damage from winter freezes.
Is mother-of-thyme the same as thyme?
Creeping thyme, also known commonly as ‘Mother of Thyme,’ is an easily grown, spreading thyme variety. It is excellent planted as a lawn substitute or among stepping stones or pavers to create a living patio. Let’s learn more about creeping thyme plant care.
Which type of thyme is best for cooking?
Dozens of varieties are available, but those interested in the best culinary thymes have only a handful of choices. Those best for flavor, as well as ease of use, are the low-growing, shrubby ones known as English, French, lemon, or winter thyme.
What types of thyme are edible?
But when it comes to the kitchen, the players are few. There are only about half a dozen considered suitable for cooking. Out of this group, I find four to be most useful: French thyme, lemon thyme, oregano-scented thyme, and caraway thyme. French thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the one that most people know.
Are thyme flowers poisonous?
And yes, Julie, do eat the thyme flowers: they are perfectly edible and very pretty.
Will creeping thyme choke out weeds?
Red creeping thyme adds attractive, deep green color to your landscape throughout spring, but it’s most beautiful in summer when it erupts in gorgeous crimson flowers. It really, really chokes out the weeds, forming a thick mat.
What does mother-of-thyme look like?
The leaves are fuzzy, fragrant, and bluish-green in color. The flowers are tiny, tubular, pinkish-purple blooms that appear from June to September. The common method of propagation is by division in the spring or late fall. Semi-hard cuttings may be obtained in mid to late summer.
Can you use garden thyme for cooking?
Elevate your butter by adding some homegrown thyme. It’s great to liven up cooked meats and vegetables, pasta, potatoes and breads.
What type of thyme is most common?
While there are a plethora of thyme varieties, here is a list of some of the most common:
- Common thyme (T. vulgaris) – Common thyme has a prostrate form with yellow and variegated foliage available; used in cooking.
- Lemon thyme (T. x.
- Woolly thyme (T.
- Creeping thyme (T.
- Wild thyme (T.
- Elfin thyme (T.
What is the difference between thyme and French thyme?
French thyme is a variety of English thyme that has narrower, grey-green leaves and a slightly sweeter flavor. It is often preferred by chefs, and is excellent for seasoning meat, fish, soup, and vegetables. Just remember that its English counterpart is not only more robust, but has better cold tolerance.
Can all thyme be eaten?
All thymes (and there are over 350 species in the genus Thymus) are edible and this includes varieties usually thought of as ornamental or medicinal.
Is it OK to eat thyme stems?
Cooking With Fresh Thyme
Fresh thyme can be added to a recipe whole with the stem, or the leaves can be removed from the stem and then sprinkled into a dish. If a recipe calls for a “sprig” of thyme, the leaves and stem should be kept intact.
Can you eat common thyme?
Its edible leaves are used fresh or dried to flavour soups, stews, fish, meat, sausages, stuffings and vegetable dishes.
Can you cook with thyme that has flowered?
To eat them, use the flowers as a garnish while they’re still attached to the stem. You can also break them up and sprinkle them over a dish. Thyme flowers add a lemony flavor to dishes, and some culinary applications recommend using them to make a flavored butter.
Can you use thyme after it has flowered?
Harvesting Thyme to Use for Cooking. Harvest thyme just before the plant flowers for the best flavor. Once the plant begins to flower, the herb begins to lose some of its flavor and potency. The thyme can still be used after it flowers, just expect a milder flavor.
Can you use thyme when its flowering?
Can you harvest thyme after it blooms? Thyme leaves can still be harvested when the plant is flowering and the flavor of the leaves won’t be altered.
Can you walk on creeping thyme?
After doing much on-line research, I chose to replace half of my front lawn with Red Creeping Thyme in the spring of 2019. I liked its height (2”), the fact that it can tolerate moderate foot traffic, is drought resistant, spreads fast and chokes out weeks and attracts bees and butterflies.
What is the most invasive ground cover?
Bamboo, which technically is a giant grass, is one of the world’s most invasive plants. Once established, it is literally next to impossible to control. The sprouts that shoot up from the ground each spring can grow 12 inches a day!
Is creeping thyme safe for dogs?
“The creeping thyme does well as a dog-friendly ground cover. Irish Moss, Labrador Violet, Miniature Stonecrop (although invasive, so be careful where you plant it) as well as snow in summer are rather dog-abuse-tolerant and are non-toxic.”
Which thyme is best for ground cover?
Caraway Thyme is the only culinary Ground Cover Thyme in the bunch. Lavender Thyme will spread like a ground cover but it does get taller and is more suitable for areas that need cover but don’t get walked on too much.
How do you plant a mother of thyme?
Creeping thyme plants grow best in well-draining soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Like most herb plants, creeping thyme seems to thrive in poor soils. They will grow best in full sun, although they will tolerate some shade. Creeping thyme plants can become woody over time.
Gerardo Gonzalez loves cooking. He became interested in it at a young age, and has been honing his skills ever since. He enjoys experimenting with new recipes, and is always looking for ways to improve his technique.
Gerardo’s friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of his delicious cooking. They always enjoy trying out his latest creations, and often give him feedback on how he can make them even better. Gerardo takes their input to heart, and uses it to continue refining his culinary skills.