A Gardener's Guide to Thyme Varieties, Part 1: The Culinary Staples
Small Leaves, Big Variety
Thyme is one of the most hardworking herbs in the kitchen. It is essential for classic savory dishes like roast chicken, stews, and traditional stuffing. But this modest plant, with its tiny leaves and woody stems, hides an incredible world of variation in scent and flavor.
Here in Part 1 we will be discussing the Culinary Staples!
These varieties are the indispensable workhorses of the herb garden. They are highest in the essential oil thymol, which provides that classic, intensely savory, earthy, and slightly medicinal flavor that holds up well under long, slow cooking times. If a recipe simply calls for "thyme," choose from one of these three reliable staples.
Be sure to check out Part 2 where we will be discussing aromatic varieties of thyme!
French Thyme
The Gold Standard: Known for its highly concentrated flavor. It is the most common variety found in professional kitchens, celebrated for its consistency and ability to hold its potency when dried or added to slow-cooked dishes.
Growing: Tends to be slightly more upright than English thyme, making it a great choice for container gardening.
English Thyme
The Reliable Perennial: A classic, dependable culinary variety that is slightly milder than French but often proves to be more cold-hardy, making it a reliable perennial choice (Zone 5-9) for many regions.
Use: Ideal for everyday cooking, including stews, soups, and roasting vegetables.
German Thyme
The Bushy Variety: Often considered botanically similar or interchangeable with English Thyme, German Thyme is prized for its excellent flavor and its compact, bushy growth habit.
Use: Excellent for high-yield harvesting and can be easily kept neat and tidy in a pot or garden bed.
Despite being "botanically similar" I can tell you that my family has always preferred German Thyme over English Thyme when seasoning meats or making herbed butters. The flavor profile is slightly more subtle and can be less overpowering than its family member from across the channel.
Growing Tips for Optimal Thyme Health
Sun & Soil: Thyme demands full sun (at least 6 hours) and excellent drainage. It is native to dry regions and despises wet feet, which quickly leads to root rot. Use a lean, sandy soil mix.
Watering: Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings, especially if grown in containers. Thyme handles drought far better than it handles excess moisture.
Pruning & Rejuvenation: Thyme is naturally a woody shrub. To keep the plant productive and prevent it from becoming a tangled stick bundle, shear the plant back by about one-third immediately after it finishes flowering.
The Golden Rule: Never cut back into the old, brown, woody parts of the stem. Always cut above new green or emerging growth; cutting old wood can kill the plant entirely!
A Herb for Every Kitchen
Thyme is a hero of the herb world—dependable, perennial, and intensely flavorful. By moving beyond the single, generic variety, you gain access to an aromatic palette perfect for seasoning every dish, from savory roasts with French Thyme to sparkling summer drinks with Lemon Thyme.
Its hardiness means it can stay in your garden year-round in most temperate zones, offering continuous culinary excellence. Start exploring this world of scent today, and find the perfect thyme for every corner of your kitchen!