Breckland thyme

Breckland thyme: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Creeping, flat mat 5–10 cm tall and 30–40 cm wide, with woody, trailing stems.

Leaves

Very small, oval to elliptic, 3–8 mm, evergreen; with an aromatic scent.

Flower

Small pinkish-purple flowers in round heads, from June to August.

Stem

Round and hairy all round, trailing and rooting; that sets it apart from broad-leaved thyme.

Roots

The trailing stems root into the ground, so the mat grows slowly outwards.

Flowering: June–August · Harvest and fruit: May–September · Sowing: March–April · Plants: April–May and September · Pruning: April and August

Why grow it?

• A native ground cover for sunny, poor spots where little else will grow.
• From June to August, a carpet of pinkish-purple flowers that attracts bees and butterflies.
• Evergreen and fragrant: a pleasant plant along paths and seating areas.
• Drought tolerant and undemanding.
• The leaves are edible and can be used like common thyme, fresh or dried.

Breckland thyme: where does it grow best?

• Full sun in a warm, open spot.
• Dry, lean, well-drained soil: sand or loam, acid to neutral.
• Dry: heavy, wet soil is its worst enemy, especially in winter.
• Plant 25–30 cm apart: the mat closes up within two to three years.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.1 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Fescue: A fine grey-green grass that, like thyme, loves dry sandy soil.
• Stonecrop: The same sun and drought, with fleshy leaves beside the fine thyme carpet.
• Heather: A natural neighbour on acid, sandy soil.
• Maiden pink: Small pink flowers in the same poor, sunny soil.

Breckland thyme: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September.

1. Sow indoors in March–April: scatter the seeds on seed compost, press them in and barely cover them, at 15–20 °C.
2. Prick out the seedlings and gradually harden them off to the open air in May.
3. Plant in April–May or in September, 25–30 cm apart.
4. Mix heavy soil with sand or fine grit for extra drainage.
5. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and water.

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: poor soil gives a compact, highly aromatic mat.

Weeding

In the first years, pull grass and weeds out of the mat by hand.

Mulching

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

Harvesting

Snip tips and small leaves from June; they are most fragrant just before flowering. Use them fresh or dry them.

Tip: Plant it in the joints between paving slabs or stepping stones: it tolerates treading and every step releases its scent. A thin layer of sand or gravel around the plants helps it through wet winters.

Breckland thyme: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April and August.

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

How:

• In April, remove dead, brown tips and clear fallen leaves from the mat.
• After flowering, in August, lightly trim off the faded flower heads to keep the mat dense.
• Never cut 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

Seed

In March–April, scatter the seeds indoors on seed compost and barely cover them, at 15–20 °C. Germination takes about 2–3 weeks.

Division

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

Breckland thyme: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy to about −25 °C: even in a hard winter you need not protect it.
• Wet soil is more dangerous than frost: ensure drainage, with sand or grit if necessary.
• In a pot or trough: keep it 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: In the centre of older mats or in shade. Trim lightly after flowering and plant new pieces in the gaps.
• Grass and weeds: They smother the mat. Weed by hand in the first years.
• Long, thin shoots: Too little sun or too much feed. Move it to a sunnier spot and do not feed.

Through the year

• March: Sow indoors at 15–20 °C.
• April: Light spring trim. Sow and plant.
• May: Plant. Weed.
• June: Flowering begins. Harvest tips for the kitchen.
• July: Flowering: bees and butterflies visit.
• August: Trim lightly after flowering.
• September: Plant or divide.

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 serpyllum refers to its creeping habit.
• In French it is called serpolet, and it is used in the kitchen as a wild thyme.
• In the wild it grows on dry sandy soil, on heathland and in dunes.