Plants in the genus
Thymus are normally thought of as culinary herbs.
However, many species of thyme can be used as ornamentals, for a ground cover or in the rock garden.
Two notable examples are
Thymus pseudolanuginosus and
Thymus serpyllum, woolly thyme and wild thyme, respectively.
Woolly thyme gets its common name from its very hairy, prostrate stems and leaves.
Its flowers are pale pink and are produced in mid-summer.
Woolly thyme makes a good ground cover for dry areas.
Wild thyme is probably the best known of the prostrate forms.
In England, plants have escaped their gardens and can be seen spreading over the hillsides.
The foliage of wild thyme is also somewhat hairy, although not nearly to the degree of woolly thyme, and its flowers are pink or purple.
Both thymes have nicely scented foliage and can withstand some foot traffic, making them an unusual but well suited choice for use between flagstones or pavers in walkways and patios.
Common thyme,
Thymus vulgaris, a native from the western Mediterranean region, prefers full sun and loose, well-drained soil.
Well-drained soil is especially important for woolly or creeping thymes; they are prone to develop root rot if grown in soils with poor drainage. In fact, rocky areas with gritty, gravely, sandy soil are best for their growth.
These thymes will not tolerate wet feet or poorly drained soil, under such conditions the plants will quickly wither and die.
The trick to growing these plants well is to think hot, dry and rocky.
Cultivars of woolly thyme that are worth investigation include:
- 'Hall's Variety' has soft, wooly foliage, grows 3-4" tall and bears lavender-pink flowers.
Interesting cultivars of wild thyme include:
- 'Aureus' has golden leaves that spread with a creeping habit.
- 'Coccineus' has deep green leaves and dark red flowers.
- 'Goldstream' has yellow and green variegated foliage and lilac flowers.
- ‘Pink Chintz’ has dark green woolly leaves and salmon-pink flowers.
- ‘Snowdrift’ bears white flowers on creeping stems.
