[3][4][5] A fragrant plant native to southern Europe and western Asia, it has been used over centuries for culinary, aromatic, and traditional medicine purposes.

Also, in other languages, it is associated with the Virgin Mary, most probably because it was thought to be a treatment for women's diseases in folk medicine.

Costmary was widely grown since the medieval times in herb gardens until the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

[5] Leaves contain carvone as the main phytochemical (about 50% of total), together with minor amounts of β-thujone and other carvone-related chemicals.

[7][better source needed] From medieval times through the 18th century, costmary was used in various supposed treatments of traditional medicine.