General description
Creeping thyme (Thymus praecox 'Albiflorus') is a low growing herbaceous perennial ground cover with an attractive fragrance that is a joy to the home garden. Small evergreen leaves are dark green in color and tiny rose-purple flowers appear in late spring.
Like their upright counterparts, creeping thymes bear leaves that offer a relatively delicate texture for landscape design considerations. Spicy Orange thyme, creeping lemon thyme and Caraway thyme all bear pink blooms and stay short (4" or less).
Plant requirements
Creeping thyme herb plants grow best in a soil with an alkaline pH. It is a must that soil be well-drained, too! And far from craving fertilizer, they seem to crave poor soils, like most herb plants. Grow these herb plants in full sun if possible, although they will tolerate a bit of shade.
Zones
Best grown in zones 5-9.
Maintenance
Creeping thyme herb plants grow best in a soil with an alkaline pH. It is a must that soil be well-drained, too! And far from craving fertilizer, they seem to crave poor soils, like most herb plants. Grow these herb plants in full sun if possible, although they will tolerate a bit of shade..
Practical use
May be planted as a ground cover, on stone walls, in rock gardens or between stepper stones in a pathway. It is a mat forming plant that reaches only 1/2 to 1 inch in height, but spreads an impressive 18 inches. It is also a nice addition to herb gardens.
Mostly used…
- As ground cover for weed control in landscaping
- As fragrant plants in a landscape devoted to aromas
- Medicinally
- Attract butterflies and bees
Landscape Design
Creeping thyme plants generally stay short and can be effective ground covers. Some folks go as far as using them as grass alternatives. A more common use of these herb plants is as a ground cover to fill in the spaces between stepping stones.