You can grow thyme indoors year-round. But, why thyme? I’m glad you asked.
- It’s compact;
- It’s delicious;
- Its health benefits.
Thyme is a relatively low-growing herb. According to the Journal of Medicine and Life, “The genus Thymus, member of the Lamiaceae family, contains about 400 species of perennial aromatic, evergreen or semi-evergreen herbaceous plants with many subspecies, varieties, subvarieties and forms.” The vast majority can be container-grown. Some grow only a few inches high, so you shouldn’t have to worry about whether you have enough indoor growing space.
Thyme has a distinctive flavor with many nuances. Simply Recipes, notes that thyme “has a delightful flavor balance that dances between earthy and minty, minty and citrus-laced, savory but also sweet, and slightly woodsy but also flowery, with traces of lavender or a toned-down rosemary.” To help distinguish one flavorful variety from another, many are so-named. For example, you’ll find Lime Thyme, Mint Thyme, Caraway Thyme, and Coconut Thyme, to name a few. So, thyme lends itself to a host of dishes.
Thyme is good for you. An excellent article in Healthline indicates that thyme has numerous health benefits including:
- fighting acne
- lowering blood pressure
- helping to alleviate cough
- boosting immunity
- disinfecting
- repelling pests
- aromatherapy
- boosting mood
- culinary uses
- preventing bacterial infections
- helping to treat yeast infections
- possibly helping against certain types of cancer
The article in Journal of Medicine and Life presents more technical details of some antibacterial properties.
There are distinct advantages of growing thyme indoors:
- Weather is never a consideration;
- Limited outdoor growing space is no longer a problem;
- It’s always handy.
Even though thyme is cold-hardy into USDA Climate Zone 5, one advantage of growing it indoors is that YOU don’t have to go out into inclement weather to fetch a sprig or two for your recipe. If you live in a colder region, you can grow it indoors regardless of weather extremes.
If you have limited growing space because of your living situation, you can grow thyme in your kitchen window. In fact, that might be the handiest place, for you can snip fresh leaves and use them in dishes while you are cooking.
For more about growing thyme, check out this earlier blog article, Thyme It Is APrecious Thing.
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