Cat thyme
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cat thyme (Teucrium marum) is not a thyme at all, but a close relative of germander. Its small, oval leaves give it a thyme like appearance, but the musty scent is quite unlike the delicate aroma of thyme, Cat Thyme is a mounding, tender perennial with grey-green leaves tipped by fragrant pink flowers in summer.
Cat thyme, a native of Spain, will live through the winter in the open, on a dry soil and in a good situation, when the frosts are not severe, though it is frequently killed in hard winters, if unprotected by mats or other covering. Older plants can shrub 3 or 4 feet high if grown in a mild climate.. It has oval leaves, broader at the base, downy beneath, with uncut margins. The flowers are in one-sided spikes, the corollas are crimson in color. The leaves and younger branches when fresh, on being rubbed emit a volatile, aromatic smell, which excites sneezing, but in taste they are somewhat bitter, accompanied with a sensation of heat.
Some, but not all cats prefer it to catnip and will corkscrew themselves into the plant in ecstasy.
