General Information
Lemon thyme is a small, shrub-like herb with tiny leaves growing in clusters along multi-branched stems. Mature stems become woody at the base and the tops are tender and light green. The leaves are lance-shaped, slightly elliptical, and are extremely small, measuring only 1 millimeter in size. The herb looks relatively identical to English thyme; where it differs is in its aroma and taste. Natural compounds in Lemon thyme, like limonene and thymol, give the herb a citrusy flavor. The lemon flavor can mask some of the bitterness typically present in garden thyme. During the summer months, flowers with small, two-lipped, lilac blossoms appear at the ends of the stems. The flowers will remain until the weather gets cool. Lemon thyme flowers have the same smell and flavor of the leaves.
History
Thyme is native to the rocky, arid mountains in the Mediterranean region, including the south of France, Spain, Italy, and parts of northern Africa. The evergreen shrub thrives in the sun and is drought tolerant. Some varieties creep along the ground while others appear more like a tiny shrub with sprigs growing straight upward. Lemon thyme has a couple of botanical synonyms, T. serpyllum citratus and T. serpyllum citriodora.
