This website is not to be used  to diagnose or treat any medical conditions.   Know the facts about the plant material you use. *This  website does not contain a full list of all possible interactions or side effects of all drugs or herbs. Edible or medicinal use information contained on this website are traditional-use information only.
Always consult a Naturopath or Physician for diagnosis, confirmation & dosage recommendations before using herbs for medicinal purposes. Use of herbs should be stopped during pregnancy and lactation. 
Warning! Plant materials should only be ingested IF they're grown using organic methods. Some species in a genus will be edible & others not! Do Your Homework for information on the plant parts used and mode of use. People and pets also can have bad reactions to plant materials, so know your allergies!

Labiatae. Evergreen shrub 12-18 inches. Easy to grow. Best in full sun, average water, slightly acid soil. Doesn't tolerate wet or poor drainage, so set plants out of regular sprinkler range. It has a woody, creeping rhizome. The whole plant tends to be hairy and fragrant. Neat, dense, low shrub with rosy purple blooms through most of the summer. Great for rockery, traditional knot-garden, strewing herb, low hedge. Needs pruning to encourage bushiness. Mulch in Winter. Transplant to 12" apart.

Companion: attracts butterflies and bees.

Use: Leaves once used to treat wounds, rheumatism and gout, as a digestive tonic, antiseptic, diuretic, stimulant, fever reducer, treats sore throat, bronchitis, jaundice and worms. Has been used as a substitute for hops in beer. The constituents of germander include essential oils, tannins and bitter compounds. It is used to stimulate the appetite and improve digestion. Used in a poultice to help with external, slow healing sores.
Great as greens in fresh bouquets, cut boughs will stay green & fresh up to 5 months. Change water once a week, keep all leaves above the water line to avoid rotting.

Origin: Native to Southern Europe and Mediterranean Region..

Labiatae. Perennial to 18". An easily grown plant, succeeding in any moderately good soil and almost any situation. Once established, this is a drought resistant plant, succeeding in dry shade. Pale yellow flowers July to September.

Companions: Pollinated by bees.

Harvest: It is harvested in July and can be dried for later use

Uses: The plant resembles hops in taste and flavor. An infusion of the leaves and flowers is used as a hop substitute for beer. Used in domestic herbal practice to treat skin afflictions, diseases of the blood, fevers, colds, etc. It is an appetizer and is equal to gentian root as a tonic.

Origin: Belgium; Britain; France; France; Germany; Italy; Netherlands; Portugal; Spain;

Labiatae. Tender evergreen herb to 12 inches, with lemon scented foliage and pale purple flowers. Provide full sun and dry, well drained soil. pH 5.5-7. A low and tidy growth habit, good for low hedging or rock garden, knot garden.

Harvest leaves before flower buds open.

Uses: add to teas and summer drinks for lemony flavor, chop into salads, marinades, vinaigrette. Add to fish, chicken, hot vegetables, fruit salads.
Makes a great pesto for spinach salad, pasta salad, summer spreads, BBQ baste, etc.
Add to potpourri and herbal posies.
Place in muslin and throw in bath for soothing soak. Keep fresh bunch in closet or car to prevent musty odors.

Origin: Southern Europe. Hybrid of T. vulgaris

Hardy evergreen groundcover. Full Sun, average, well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Bushy habit. Strong orange-scented leaves. Useful for edging, in rockeries, between pavers, in containers. Cut it back to keep neat, mow if using as a grass substitute. Mixes well for a mixed-thyme carpet.

Companion: Bees love the pink flowers in Summer.

Use sparingly in culinary dishes including stuffings, soups and stews, good with duck, lamb and chicken. Chew fresh leaves to clear the palate & sweeten the breath.

Dried sprigs added to potpourri.

Hardy evergreen ground cover. Full sun, average soil & water needs. Drought tolerant once established. Fills in fast Scented like a Caraway seed. Deep green leaves on reddish stems. Blooms mid spring through summer. Useful for edging, in rockeries, between pavers, in containers. Cut it back to keep neat, mow if using as a grass substitute. Mixes well for a mixed-thyme carpet.

Companion: Tubular pink flowers, rich in nectar, are pollinated by Bees, flies and butterflies.

Harvest: Early and late Summer just before the flowers open, Use fresh or dry for later use.

Uses:Fresh or dried, leaves can be used as a substitute for real Caraway in any recipe. Great in bread, cooked with meat, potatoes, sauerkraut, corned beef, cabbage rolls, soups, vegetables, crushed in vinaigrette. Mixes well with garlic.

Essential oil from leaves is antiseptic, deodorant and disinfectant, is used in perfumes, mouth wash. The plant can be used fresh or distilled for the oil.

Origin: Pre- medieval Spain, Corsica and Sardinia. herba-barona translates to 'herb of beef' - denoting it's use to spice up meat that had gone bad.

Labiatae. Creeping groundcover to 2". Full to part sun, average soil & water needs. A ground rooting creeper with a profusion of rosy-pink flowers in Summer. Soft and fragrant when stepped on. Great for rockeries, between stepping stones and grass-substitute in difficult areas. Take plugs to expand area in late Spring or early Fall. Mixes well for a mixed-thyme carpet.

Companion: Attracts bees & butterflies.

Origin: Europe

Labiatae. Creeping groundcover to 2". Full to part sun, average soil & water needs. A ground rooting creeper with a profusion of lavender flowers in Summer. Soft and fragrant when stepped on. Great for rockeries, between stepping stones and grass-substitute in difficult areas. Take plugs to expand area in late Spring or early Fall. Mixes well for a mixed-thyme carpet.

Companion: Attracts bees & butterflies.

Origin: Europe

T. PULEGIOIDES CITRIDOR  - LEMON FLAVORED

Creeping Perennial. Full to partial sun, average soil and water needs. Great for hillsides. Perfumes the air when stepped on. Highly aromatic, tasty leaves & an abundance of pinkish-purple, scented flowers in summer.
Beneficial: Attracts butterflies & bees.

Harvest: in early and late summer before the flowers open.

Uses: a tea helps to clear mucus congestion. Used in cooking same as culinary thyme but not as flavorful. Can be used as a condiment, an ingredient in 'bouquet garni', added to soups, vegetables, mushrooms, zucchini.

Labiatae. Evergreen herb. Provide full sun and dry, well drained soil. pH 5.5-7. Fertilize in Spring & Summer. Renew plants every 3-4 years. Green foliage with small pinkish flowers in summer. Low and tidy growth habit, great for rock garden, knot garden or border plant. Prune frequently to maintain compact form.

Companion: Deters cabbage worms. Plant to attract bees.

Uses: Mix with parsley and bay for all purpose seasoning. Add to marinades, stuffings, sauces, and soups. Suits foods cooked slowly especially poultry, shellfish and game. Add to chicken, fish, game, hot vegetables, salads. Make flavored vinegar. Aids digestion of fatty foods. Make a tea and flavor with honey to ease coughs, colds and sore throats.

Origin: Southern Europe & Mediterranean. Ancient Greeks used thyme as incense; thyme honey was made in Sicily, and still is; sheep have been grazed on thyme in Italy for centuries. In common use in England by the 1100's.

Tropaeolaceae. Annual. Moderate water needs, full sun. pH 5.5-7.5. If soil is too rich, plant will produce fewer blooms. Compact 2' plant with cascading, bright edible flowers and foliage. The majus group are large, trailing forms that look good rambling along trellises or window boxes.  The minus nasturtiums have a more mounding habit. 

Companion: Attracts butterflies & hummingbirds. Also attracts insect pests away from other plants, use to spot treat problem areas in the landscape (place next to infested plant, when aphids have migrated to nasturtium, move plant off to side & hose off.)

Uses: Nasturtiums are useful both for their beauty and for adding their peppery taste to dips, salads and vinegars. Entire plant smells faintly of spice. Edible flowers decorate salads. Stems & young leaves are eaten in salads, sandwiches. Seeds are chopped and used in sauces, as capers are, when a peppery flavor is needed. The seeds & flower buds can be used in pickles.

Origin: Peru - Nasturtiums are a symbol of patriotism.

Hardy, self-seeding, spreading dwarf. Full sun, well-drained, average soil. Plant 20" apart. Leaves are grass-like, forming large cushion. Rose-pink flowers are small & star shaped, all summer. Plants are usually evergreen. Good filler for rock gardens, walks and walls. Very similar to Baby's Breath, without the invasiveness.

Crimson Clover
Hardy forage plant to 12 inches. Blooms March-May
An upright, winter annual native to Europe, but has naturalized throughout temperate North America. The deep red to scarlet flowers are tightly congested arising from an elongated stalk. Will adapt to virtually all soil types. Prefers full sun but can tolerate partial shade.

Great for Erosion control, roadsides, meadows, vacant lots.
Do not plant Crimson Clover (left) with other wildflower varieties; it has a tendency to become very competitive and crowd out other flowers.
Great forage and seed for game birds, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, sheep, deer; nectar for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.