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Compare Thyme and Sweetbay


Sweetbay and Thyme


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Herbs  
Tree  

Origin
Asia, Europe  
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States  

Types
Elfin Thyme, Pink Chintz Thyme, Lime Thyme, White Moss Thyme, Lavender Thyme, Silver Needle Thyme  
Cherry laurel, California Bay Laurel, Spotted laurel  

Number of Varieties
300  
28
3  
99+

Habitat
Rocky areas  
Tropical regions  

USDA Hardiness Zone
6-9  
5-9  

AHS Heat Zone
9-1  
9-6  

Sunset Zone
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  
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  

Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming  
Oval or Rounded  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
10.20 cm  
99+
460.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
20.00 cm  
300.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Crimson, Lavender, Pink, White  
White, Ivory  

Flower Color Modifier
-  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
-  
Orange Red  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green  
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Silver  

Leaf Color in Summer
Gray Green  
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Silver  

Leaf Color in Fall
Gray Green  
Green, Yellow green, Tan, Silver  

Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green  
Green, Yellow green, Tan  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Tiny  
Oval  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Summer  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Part sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Medium  
Medium  

Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Average  

Bloom Time
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter  
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
No  

Tolerances
Drought  
Wet Site  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting  
Grafting, Stem Planting  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Do not water frequently, Does not require lot of watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally  
Do Not over Water, occasional watering once established  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Type
Loamy, Sandy  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Average  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Part sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune lower leaves, Requires extensive pruning  
Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  
fertilize in growing season  

Pests and Diseases
Alternaria leaf blight, Aphids, Botrytis collar rot, Rhizoctonia Root Rot, Spider mites  
Beetles, Fusarium wilt, Rust, Scab  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas  

Facts

Flowers
Yes  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
-  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
Yes  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
Yes  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Fine  
Coarse  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Glossy  

Evergreen
Yes  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
No  
No  

Attracts
Butterflies  
Birds, Butterflies  

Allergy
Diarrhea, Skin irritation  
allergic conjunctivitis, Nausea, wheezing  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.  
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
-  
For treating wrinkles, Hair Conditioner, Making cosmetics  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Sometimes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification, Indoor Air Purification, Insect Repellent  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Bronchitis, Chronic fatigue, Cough, Gastritis, Hair Loss, Insomnia, Kidney problems, Muscle Pain, Skin irritation, Snoring, Sore throat, Stomach pain, Swelling  
Acne, Cancer, Diarrhea, Emollient, Migraines, Oral health, treating poison ivy  

Part of Plant Used
Whole plant  
Flowers, Leaf Stalks, Stem  

Other Uses
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  
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Florist trade and landscaping, Making Perfumes, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used as Ornamental plant  

Used As Indoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb, Rock Garden  
Feature Plant, Foundation, Shade Trees  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
Thymus vulgaris  
Laurus nobilis  

Common Name
Thyme  
Sweetbay  

In Hindi
अजवायन के फूल  
Laurus nobilis  

In German
Thymian  
Echter Lorbeer  

In French
Thym  
Laurus nobilis  

In Spanish
Tomillo  
Laurus nobilis  

In Greek
θυμάρι  
Laurus nobilis  

In Portuguese
Tomilho  
Loureiro  

In Polish
Tymianek  
Wawrzyn szlachetny  

In Latin
Thymum  
Laurus nobilis  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
-  
Laurales  

Family
Labiatae  
Magnoliaceae  

Genus
Thymus  
Laurus  

Clade
-  
Angiosperms, Monocots  

Tribe
-  
Epidendreae  

Subfamily
-  
Epidendroideae  

Number of Species
350  
99+
3  
99+

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Difference Between Thyme and Sweetbay

If you are confused whether Thyme or Sweetbay are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Thyme and Sweetbay Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Thyme are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, whereas for Sweetbay fertilizers required are fertilize in growing season. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Thyme and Sweetbay if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Thyme and Sweetbay

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Thyme and Sweetbay. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Thyme and Sweetbay 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 Thyme is Arthritis, Bronchitis, Chronic fatigue, Cough, Gastritis, Hair Loss, Insomnia, Kidney problems, Muscle Pain, Skin irritation, Snoring, Sore throat, Stomach pain and Swelling whereas of Sweetbay is Acne, Cancer, Diarrhea, Emollient, Migraines, Oral health and treating poison ivy. Thyme has beauty benefits as follows: while Sweetbay has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Thyme vs Sweetbay

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 Thyme vs Sweetbay 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 Thyme are Diarrhea and Skin irritation whereas of Sweetbay have allergic conjunctivitis, Nausea and wheezing respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Thyme has no showy fruits and Sweetbay has no showy fruits. Also Thyme is flowering and Sweetbay is not flowering . You can compare Thyme and Sweetbay facts and facts of other plants too.

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