Thyme Common

Description

Thymus vulgaris – common thyme

Botanical name: Thymus vulgaris
Common names: Common thyme, garden thyme
Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)
Plant type: Evergreen aromatic sub-shrub
Habit: Low, bushy, upright
Pot size: 1 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 20–30cm tall × 30cm spread
Foliage: Tiny, aromatic grey-green leaves on a bushy, upright little sub-shrub; evergreen
Flowers: Small pale lilac to white flowers in early summer (May–July)
Scent: Strongly aromatic foliage
Aspect / light: Full sun
Soil: Sharply drained; poor to average; tolerates lime; dislikes wet; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy, to about −20°C); USDA zones 5–9
Exposure: Open, hot, dry, sunny
Native range: Garden form; thymes are native to Europe and the Mediterranean
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Thymus vulgaris, common thyme, is the classic bushy garden thyme with tiny aromatic grey-green leaves and pale lilac flowers. Tough, drought-tolerant and much loved by bees, it is superb for sunny borders and pots.

GardenAdvice notes

A low, aromatic evergreen sub-shrub, thyme is one of the toughest and most useful of all herbs, forming neat, bushy little mounds of tiny aromatic leaves smothered in summer with flowers that bees find irresistible. It thrives on hot, dry, poor, sharply drained soils and is wonderfully drought-tolerant.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring in sharply drained, poor to average soil in full sun — thyme needs sun and excellent drainage and dislikes rich, wet, heavy ground, which is its main enemy. It tolerates lime and drought. It is ideal for edging, the front of sunny borders and containers. Improve heavy soil with plenty of grit. Space about 25–30cm apart.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Trim over lightly after flowering to keep it neat and compact and to stop it going woody, but avoid cutting hard back into the old, bare wood. Water only while establishing; thereafter it is very drought-tolerant. Keep it on the dry side, especially over winter, to avoid rot.

Propagation

• Cuttings: Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
• Division: Divide or detach rooted pieces of creeping types in spring.
• Layering: Creeping thymes root as they spread and rooted pieces can be lifted.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free in a sunny, well-drained spot. Its main enemy is wet, heavy soil, which causes rot, and old plants go woody and bare in the middle. Otherwise little troubled by pests.

Uses in the garden

Superb for sunny borders, gravel and Mediterranean-style gardens, low edging, herb gardens and containers, where its aromatic foliage and bee-friendly flowers earn their place.

Wildlife value

Thyme is one of the very best plants of all for pollinators: its summer flowers are absolutely alive with bees and other beneficial insects.

Toxicity & safety

This herb is generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets.

GardenAdvice tip

Common thyme is the classic upright, bushy garden thyme — a tough, aromatic little evergreen for a sunny, sharply drained spot, and a magnet for bees when it flowers. Trim it over after flowering to keep it compact and stop it going woody, always stopping short of the bare old wood, and keep it dry, especially in winter.

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