Creeping thyme

Creeping thyme: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Creeping, cushion-like mat 5–10 cm tall and 40–50 cm wide that slowly spreads.

Leaves

Small, oval, 4–8 mm, dark green and evergreen, with a herby thyme scent.

Flower

Small pinkish-purple flowers in round heads, in June–July.

Scent

Warm and aromatic, especially when trodden on or in the sun.

Roots

The trailing stems root into the ground, so the mat thickens up by itself.

Flowering: June–July · Harvest and fruit: May–September · Plants: April–May and September · Pruning: April and July

Why grow it?

• A dense, low carpet that suppresses weeds and tolerates foot traffic.
• In June–July a sea of pinkish-purple flowers: a magnet for bees and butterflies.
• Evergreen, so still a green carpet in winter between stepping stones and gravel.
• It gives off scent when trodden on: pleasant along paths and seating areas.
• Drought tolerant and low maintenance.
• The leaves are edible and can be used as a mild thyme in the kitchen.

Creeping thyme: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: in shade the mat becomes thin and flowers little.
• Free-draining, rather lean soil: sand, loam or clay with some grit, acid to chalky.
• Dry: standing water, especially in winter, is its worst enemy.
• Plant 25–30 cm apart for a dense carpet: about 10 plants per m².

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.1 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Stonecrop: The same sun and dry soil; the fleshy leaves contrast with the fine thyme.
• Rock rose: Flowers at the same time and fills the rockery with yellow and pink.
• Fescue: A fine grey-green grass as a backdrop to the purple carpet.
• Lavender: A Mediterranean scent and the same sunny, dry spot.

Creeping thyme: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September.

1. Plant in April–May or in September, when the soil is neither too wet nor frozen.
2. Loosen heavy soil and mix in sand or fine grit for extra drainage.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and firm the soil gently.
4. Keep 25–30 cm between plants for a dense carpet.
5. Water straight away and scatter a thin layer of fine gravel around the plants.

Care

Water

In the first year give a good soak now and then in dry weather. After that it looks after itself.

Feeding

Not needed: too much feed gives thin, floppy growth.

Mulching

A thin layer of fine gravel or chippings keeps the foliage dry and prevents rot in wet winters.

Weeding

Weed the carpet by hand for the first two years; later the mat closes up.

Treading

It tolerates light foot traffic, but give young plants time to root.

Tip: Mulch with a thin layer of fine gravel: it keeps the foliage dry and prevents rot in wet winters. Plant it between stepping stones so that every step releases its scent.

Creeping thyme: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April and July.

When: Light pruning in April and a trim after flowering, in July.

How:

• In April, cut off dead, brown tips and remove debris from the mat.
• After flowering, in July, trim off the faded flower heads and part of the new shoots.
• Keep the mat compact: never cut back into old, bare wood.

Caution: Do not prune too late in autumn: new shoots may then be killed by frost.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In spring or September, cut a rooted piece from the edge of the mat and plant it elsewhere. Water well.

Cuttings

In June–July: take 5–8 cm cuttings from non-flowering tips and root them in sandy compost, kept slightly moist.

Creeping thyme: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy to about −25 °C: no frost protection is needed in Belgium.
• Wet winters are more dangerous than cold ones: ensure good drainage, with gravel if necessary.
• In a pot: keep the pot sheltered from rain so the roots do not rot.

Diseases and pests

• Root rot: Brown, dying patches after wet winters. Ensure drainage and cut away affected parts.
• Bare patches: Mainly in the centre of older plants or in shade. Trim after flowering and replant new pieces if needed.
• Weeds: Grass and weeds in the mat smother it. Weed by hand in the first years.
• Thin growth: Too little sun or too much feed. Move it to a sunnier spot and do not feed.

Through the year

• March: Clear the area of leaves and weeds.
• April: Light pruning. Plant or divide.
• May: Plant. Weed.
• June: Flowering begins: bees and butterflies visit.
• July: Flowering. Trim lightly after flowering.
• August: Tidy if needed. Water young plants in dry weather.
• September: Plant or divide. Pot on cuttings for next year.

Edible and useful

Flowers (June–July)

Pick the little flowers in June and July, when the plant is in full bloom, on a dry morning. Snip off the flowering tops and strip the flowers loose with your fingers, or use the small tops as they are. You can use them in syrup, tea or as an edible decoration on salad and goat’s cheese. Be sure to leave plenty of flowers for the bees and bumblebees.

Leaves (May–September)

Snip the sprigs with scissors or a knife on a dry morning, once the dew has gone. The flavour is strongest just before and during flowering, but you can harvest from May to September. Never cut more than a third of the plant at once and do not cut into old, bare wood, because the plant struggles to regrow from it. Strip the leaves from the stalks with your fingers, from top to bottom. In soups and stews you can also cook whole sprigs and take them out at the end.

Storing

Fresh thyme keeps for a week in the fridge, wrapped in a damp cloth or in an open bag. You can freeze sprigs loose in a bag, or chopped leaves in ice cubes with olive oil; that keeps for up to 6 months. Dried thyme keeps for up to a year in a tightly closed jar, dry and dark. Syrup keeps for six months in sterilised bottles.

Caution: Thyme is safe as a culinary herb in ordinary amounts. Never swallow the concentrated essential oil or thymol, and do not use strong extracts as food. People who are allergic to the mint family (such as mint, sage, oregano and lavender) may react to thyme too. If you have doubts, for example during pregnancy, while breastfeeding or when taking medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist before drinking thyme tea every day. Wild thyme (breckland thyme or creeping thyme) grows on protected dunes and heath and is rare: do not pick it in nature areas, but harvest from garden plants. Plants bought at a garden centre may have been treated: let them grow for a few weeks and wash the sprigs well. Do not pick beside busy roads or where dogs go, use only plants that clearly smell of thyme, and never eat anything you have not identified with certainty.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Thyme and lemon syrup (Syrup · ± 600 ml · 20 min + 1 hour steeping)
• Fresh thyme tea (Tea · 2 cups · 10 min)
• Dried thyme (Dried · ± 25 g dried leaves · 15 min + 1–2 weeks drying)
• Roast potatoes with thyme and garlic (Dish · serves 4 · 55 min)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The species name praecox is Latin for ‘early’.
• Thymes hybridise easily with one another, which makes telling the wild thymes apart a tricky job.
• When trodden on, the fragrant oils in the leaves are released: you often smell it before you see it.