Biological designation:

Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is a powerful medicinal herb that was prized in antiquity by the Greeks, Egyptians and Etruscans and cultivated for its far-reaching properties (the Greek "thymos" means bundled power). Thyme was brought across the Alps by monks during the Middle Ages. It has a disinfectant and alterative effect on intestinal flora, stimulates the appetite and has an expectorant and soothing effect in the case of spasmodic coughs.

Habitat:

A native of the Mediterranean area, it prefers a dry Mediterranean climate; in Switzerland, it grows ideally in Canton Valais on south-facing slopes.

Active ingredients:

Volatile oil with thymol and a little tannin, in the flowering sprig.