How To Grow Creeping Thyme (Thymus Praecox) - Gardener's Path

Thymus praecox

A sweet smell of earthy, herby goodness wafts through the air, welcoming you into the garden. One step forward leads you onto a low-growing mat of spicy, lilac-flowering thyme.

Have no fear, Thymus praecox, aka creeping thyme, can handle a little foot traffic, releasing its sweet perfume in return, making it an excellent choice for planting in a walkway or between stepping stones!

An exceptional, pollinator-friendly ground cover, T. praecox works well to connect different spaces in a garden, as a border plant, in between stone paths, in a rock wall, or as a lawn substitute.

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Ground covers provide a myriad of uses and benefits in the garden. They function as a living mulch by shading the soil, suppressing weeds, and conserving water. All of this helps to build topsoil and prevent erosion.

With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when selecting a ground cover. Cue creeping thyme!

Drought tolerant, evergreen, low-maintenance, and fragrant, with vibrant pink-purple flowers – what’s not to love?

This ground cover is sure to put a smile on your face no matter the season. Read on to learn how to best incorporate it into your garden.

What You’ll Learn

Quick Look

Propagation

How to Grow

Cultivars to Select

Maintenance

Pests and Disease

Best Uses

Growing to about two to three inches tall and spreading to more than a foot across, creeping thyme tends to grow in a dense, mat-like form.

Small, fuzzy gray-green leaves are aromatic and release their fragrance when delicately crushed.

Come summertime, lavender-pink blooms attract butterflies, bees, and other friendly pollinators.

Quick Look

Common name(s): Creeping thyme, mother of thyme

Plant type: Perennial woody shrub

Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5a-8b

Native to: Southern, western, and central Europe

Season: Summer

Exposure: Full sun

Soil type: Dry, sandy, rocky, well draining

Soil pH: 6.0-8.0, slightly acidic to alkaline

Spacing: Thin to 1 inch (seeds), 8-12 inches (transplants)

Planting depth: 1/16 inch (seeds), depth of container (transplants)

Mature size: 4-12 inches x 2-6 inches high

Water Needs: Low to Moderate

Taxonomy

Order: Lamiales

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus: Thymus

Species: Praecox

Cultivars: Albiflorus, Coccineus, Minus

Also known as mother of thyme, T. praecox is one of about 350 species in the Thymus genus — all aromatic herbaceous perennials native to the temperate Mediterranean climate found in parts of Europe, North Africa, and Asia.