Fresh thyme is one of the most popular herbs that can be used in many ways. Less well known are thymes as ornamental plants with lush flowers that are used in the rock garden or as a hard-wearing lawn.
In a nutshell
- Thymes love the sun
- low, pillow-like growth
- Thyme prefers a dry, well-drained site
- Use: culinary herb or ornamental plant
thyme
thyme, bot. Thymus, form a genus of plants within the mint family (Lamiaceae). The genus includes over 200 species. Most species are native to the Mediterranean region. The ideal location for the plants is sunny. The growth of the small shrubs or shrubs is cushion-like or cushion-like. The flowers are lush when the plants are happy with their location. Then they develop magnificent carpets of flowers.
Notice: The thyme flower magically attracts bees.
ground cover
Thymes, which are used as ground cover, are usually not suitable as kitchen herbs, as their taste often differs greatly from that of kitchen thyme.
Early flowering thyme (Thymus praecox)
Source: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Thymus praecox kz01, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Growth height: two to ten centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 25 centimeters
- Flowers: small, umbel-shaped, different flower colors (depending on the variety)
- Flowering period: May to June
- Leaves: evergreen, elliptic, small, green or gray-green (depending on variety)
- Winter hardiness: depending on the variety, sometimes only down to minus 17.8 degrees Celsius
- Variety selection: Albiflorus, Atropurpurea, Minor (especially low growth), Pink Chintz, Purple Beauty, Vey
Notice: Thymus praecox is one of the most popular types of ground cover thyme.
Island thyme (Thymus richardii ssp. nitidus)
- Synonyms: Ibiza Thyme
- Growth height: 25 centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 30 centimeters
- flowers: small, tiered, light pink
- Flowering period: May to June
- Leaves: elliptic, small, grey-green
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 17.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 7)
- Strain selection: Peter Davis
Cascade thyme (Thymus longicaulis ssp. odoratus)
- Growth height: 15 centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 25 centimeters
- flowers: small, tiered, light violet-pink
- Flowering time: April to May
- Leaves: evergreen, elliptic, small, green
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 28.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 5)
Upholstery thyme (Thymus cherlerioides)
- Growth height: 10 to 20 centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 30 centimeters
- flowers: small, in panicles, violet
- Flowering period: June to August
- Leaves: evergreen, elliptical, small, green, fragrant
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 17.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 7)
Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Thymus serpyllum, wild thyme
- Synonyms: field thyme, Quendel field cumin, rain cumin
- Growth height: three to seven centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 25 centimeters
- Flowers: small, umbel-shaped, different flower colors (depending on the variety)
- Flowering period: May to June
- Leaves: evergreen, elliptic, small, green
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 28.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 5)
- Selection of varieties: Albus, Magic Carpet, Coccineus
Steppe thyme (Thymus pannonicus)
Source: Zoran Maksimović, Thymus pannonicus 003, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Synonyms: Pannonian thyme, steppe thyme
- Growth height: 10 to 20 centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 30 centimeters
- flowers: small, in tiers, violet-pink to light red
- Flowering period: June to August
- Leaves: evergreen, elliptic, small, gray-green
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 28.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 5)
herbs
If thyme is to be used in the form of herbs in the kitchen, species or varieties that are explicitly designated as kitchen herbs should be planted. So there are no nasty surprises in terms of taste when using them.
Broad-leaved thyme (Thymus pulegioides)
- Synonyms: common thyme, common thyme, thyme, medicinal thyme, field thyme
- Growth height: 5 to 25 centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 30 centimeters
- flowers: small, layered, light violet
- Flowering period: June to September
- Soil: dry, well drained, poor in humus and nutrients
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 28.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 7)
- Variety selection: Aureus
Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
- Synonyms: Roman thyme, tripe herb, garden thyme
- Growth height: 10 to 40 centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 40 centimeters (depending on the variety)
- Flowers: small, umbel-shaped, white to light pink (depending on the variety)
- Flowering period: July to September
- Leaves: evergreen, elliptic, small, green or gray-green
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 17.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 7)
- Variety selection: Compactus, Tabor
Corsican thyme (Thymus herba-barona)
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Thymus_herba-barona#/media/File:Thymus_herba-barona_kz02.jpg.webp
- Synonyms: caraway thyme
- Growth height: 20 centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 30 centimeters
- flowers: small, tiered, pink
- Flowering period: July to September
- Leaves: evergreen, elliptic, small, green
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 23.3 degrees Celsius (WHZ 6)
Crested thyme (Thymus comosus)
Source: Ghislain118 (AD) http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net, Thymus comosus 1, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Growth height: up to 15 centimeters
- Growth width: 20 to 30 centimeters
- Flowers: medium-sized, umbel-shaped, lilac
- Flowering period: August to September
- Leaves: evergreen, elliptic, small, yellow-green
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 28.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 5)
- Strain Selection: Doone Valley
Lemon Thyme (Thymus x citriodorus)
Lemon Thyme, Thymus citriodorus
- Growth height: 5 to 20 centimeters
- Growth width: 5 to 20 centimeters (depending on the variety)
- flowers: small, spike-shaped, light violet
- Flowering period: June to September
- Leaves: Evergreen, elliptical, small, yellowish-green or mottled, fragrant with lemons
- Flavor: Spicy aroma with a slight note of lemon
- Winter hardiness: down to minus 17.8 degrees Celsius (WHZ 7)
- Variety selection: Golden Dwarf, Lemon, Silver Queen, Villa Nova
frequently asked Questions
Are there any groundcover thymes that are hardy to walk on?Yes, wild thyme and Thymus pseudolanuginosus (woolly thyme) form a dense, hard-wearing lawn.
Does thyme need to be protected in winter?It depends on the species. Some plants tolerate temperatures down to minus 28 degrees Celsius, some not even minus 20 degrees Celsius.
Can thyme also keep in a pot?Yes, thymes that are used in the kitchen are suitable as pot plants.