Broad-leaved thyme

Broad-leaved thyme, with its red-purple flowers that are much loved by insects, has a very aromatic scent. This plant has already proved its usefulness centuries ago. The Egyptians used thyme to embalm their beloved deceased, while the Romans prized it for their kitchen and home pharmacy. Broad-leaved thyme used to be very common in Flanders, but due to frequent use of fertilisers, the plant has declined sharply in numbers. The popularity of broad-leaved thyme is also lost because people no longer know this species. On the coast, the plant grows on nutrient-poor and sunlit dune grasslands.