Abstract Water-distilled essential oil from the herbal parts of Thymus canoviridis, an endemic species in Turkey, was analyzed by GC/MS. Sixty-four components were characterized representing 99.17% of the total components detected. Carvacrol (29.51%), geraniol (13.25%) and thymol (9.49%) were the major constituents of the oil obtained in 0.61% yield.