The essential oil in Lemon thyme contains natural compounds that provide antioxidant and antiseptic properties, notably a compound called thymol, which also gives the herb its citrusy flavor.

Lemon thyme is rich in iron, as well as vitamins C, D, and B-complex. Outside the kitchen, Lemon thyme is also known to be an effective mosquito repellent when crushed, thanks to its essential oils, which are also used for commercial products like deodorants, disinfectants, and more. Lemon thyme and common thyme are the two most often used in cooking, and while they closely resemble each other, Lemon thyme cultivars are distinguished by their lemony aroma and taste. It is one of hundreds of thyme varieties in the Lamiaceae, or mint family, only a few of which are suited for culinary use. Lemon thyme was long thought to be a hybrid, however, recent DNA testing has determined it to be its own species, botanically classified as Thymus citriodorus. As the name implies, Lemon thyme offers a lemon-like flavor that cuts some of the bitterness typical of common thyme. The dark green, narrowly-ovate leaves are extremely small, measuring only 1 millimeter in size, and they have a bright citrus scent that reaches its peak aroma just before the plant flowers. Its tiny leaves grow in clusters along thin, tender, light green, upward-branching stems that, when mature, become woody at the base and sprout whorls of small lilac flowers at the end. Lemon thyme is an aromatic shrubby herb with a rampant spreading habit, growing 15 to 30 centimeters tall and up to 45 centimeters wide, if not more, forming a ground cover.

Lemon thyme plant care