Thyme is another woody perennial shrub that has been used as a culinary and medicinal herb for thousands of years. Many species of thyme exist, and nearly all are native to the region around the Mediterranean. In ancient Egypt, thyme seeds were used in embalming, and the ancient Greeks used it as a fumigant. The Latin word Thymus is derived from the Greek thumos, meaning “courage,” and this association is perhaps why thyme was sent off with the crusaders, as well as the first settlers to America.