Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Asia, Europe
Types
Cherry laurel, California Bay Laurel, Spotted laurel
Elfin Thyme, Pink Chintz Thyme, Lime Thyme, White Moss Thyme, Lavender Thyme, Silver Needle Thyme
Habitat
Tropical regions
Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-9
6-9
Sunset Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Cushion/Mound-forming
Minimum Width
Not Available
Flower Color
White, Ivory
Crimson, Lavender, Pink, White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Unknown
Fruit Color
Orange Red
Not Available
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Silver
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Silver
Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan, Silver
Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Gray Green
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, occasional watering once established
Do not water frequently, Does not require lot of watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun
Pruning
Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune lower leaves, Requires extensive pruning
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Beetles, Fusarium wilt, Rust, Scab
Alternaria leaf blight, Aphids, Botrytis collar rot, Rhizoctonia Root Rot, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Not Available
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
allergic conjunctivitis, Nausea, wheezing
Diarrhea, Skin irritation
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Hair Conditioner, Making cosmetics
Not Available
Edible Uses
Sometimes
Yes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Indoor Air Purification, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Cancer, Diarrhea, Emollient, Migraines, Oral health, treating poison ivy
Arthritis, Bronchitis, Chronic fatigue, Cough, Gastritis, Hair Loss, Insomnia, Kidney problems, Muscle Pain, Skin irritation, Snoring, Sore throat, Stomach pain, Swelling
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaf Stalks, Stem
Whole plant
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Florist trade and landscaping, Making Perfumes, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used as Ornamental plant
Air freshner, Cosmetics, Economic Purpose, Employed in herbal medicine, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for fragrance
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Shade Trees
Container, Edible, Herb, Rock Garden
Botanical Name
Laurus nobilis
Thymus vulgaris
Common Name
Sweetbay
Thyme
In Hindi
Laurus nobilis
अजवायन के फूल
In German
Echter Lorbeer
Thymian
In French
Laurus nobilis
Thym
In Spanish
Laurus nobilis
Tomillo
In Greek
Laurus nobilis
θυμάρι
In Portuguese
Loureiro
Tomilho
In Polish
Wawrzyn szlachetny
Tymianek
In Latin
Laurus nobilis
Thymum
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Laurales
Not Available
Family
Magnoliaceae
Labiatae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Not Available
Tribe
Epidendreae
Not Available
Subfamily
Epidendroideae
Not Available
Importance of Sweetbay and Thyme
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Sweetbay and Thyme. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Sweetbay and Thyme as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Sweetbay is Acne, Cancer, Diarrhea, Emollient, Migraines, Oral health and treating poison ivy whereas of Thyme is Arthritis, Bronchitis, Chronic fatigue, Cough, Gastritis, Hair Loss, Insomnia, Kidney problems, Muscle Pain, Skin irritation, Snoring, Sore throat, Stomach pain and Swelling. Sweetbay has beauty benefits as follows: For treating wrinkles, Hair Conditioner and Making cosmetics while Thyme has beauty benefits as follows: For treating wrinkles, Hair Conditioner and Making cosmetics.
Compare Facts of Sweetbay vs Thyme
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Sweetbay vs Thyme and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Sweetbay are allergic conjunctivitis, Nausea and wheezing whereas of Thyme have Diarrhea and Skin irritation respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Sweetbay has no showy fruits and Thyme has no showy fruits. Also Sweetbay is not flowering and Thyme is flowering. You can compare Sweetbay and Thyme facts and facts of other plants too.