Thyme has culinary and medicinal uses, and is used as a whole herb or distilled to produce an essential oil. Thyme herb and oil may be used for flavoring foods and in medicinal products and cosmetics. Thyme has very small seeds and is generally started from transplants grown in the greenhouse. Mature plants should be harvested twice a season to prevent the accumulation of unproductive woody tissues.
Harvest is normally at bloom.
The foliage is dried and screened to produce various grades of herb. Thyme oil is produced by steam distillation of the plant top. Both high and low thymol species are available. Border rows were not included. Plant material was air-dried before distillation.