Part of the plant used for medicinal purposes: wild thyme herb (Thymi serpylli herba)
Other names: creeping thyme, Breckland thyme, Breckland wild thyme, elfin thyme.
Description and harvesting
It grows in dry, sunny areas by hedges, pastures, rocky slopes, rocks and footways. It is a bush up to 20 cm tall with a wooden root from which many tiny stems grow and carry purple or dark pink inflorescences. It flowers from June to October and has a strong, pleasant fragrance. When drying it, turn it with wooden or glass sticks. Do not touch with hands!
Constituents and medicinal use
Wild thyme strengthens the airways, helps with dry cough and whooping cough, calms the nerves, sedates and accelerates sweating. It strengthens the stomach and nerves. Wild thyme tea with honey accelerates and eases childbirth. It is beneficial for irregular periods and bladder and kidney disorders. Baths with wild thyme tea help weakened people and those with anxiety or rheumatism regain strength. The tea should be used in case of pneumonia, bronchitis or empyema. Wild thyme infused in spirit or olive oil effectively fights bacterial infections of the digestive tract and lungs. It can be used for massage in case of rheumatism, gout, tremor, and to improve the brain and general anxiety related nausea. If you have a headache, put a handful of wild thyme under a headscarf or hat. Wind thyme is useful food for bees because it protects them from bacterial diseases. Use an alcohol extract to massage young livestock with developmental delay.
Monk Simon Ašič’s product containing wild thyme:
Sources:
1. Domača lekarna patra Simona Ašiča. Priročnik za nabiranje zdravilnih rastlin. Celjska Mohorjeva družba.
2. Domača lekarna patra Simona Ašiča. Recepti. Celjska Mohorjeva družba.
3. Willfort R. Zdravline rastline in njih uporaba. Založba obzorja Maribor.
