Plant Name: Thymus praecox
Common name: Creeping Thyme
Plant Type: Groundcover
Plant Height: 1” – 4”
Plant Width: 6” – 18”
Bloom Time: May – August
Flower Color: Pink White, Purple
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Average, Dry – Medium, Well-Drained; Tolerates Rocky or Poor Soil.
Water Need: Drought Tolerant Once Established
Fire Resistant: YES. Plant 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Leaves in Shades of Light to Dark Green Yellow, or Variegated; Deer Resistant; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Rock Walls; Between Pavers; Rock Garden; Path Edging.
Note: Cut Back Stems to Maintain Plant Appearance; Susceptible to Root Rot in Poor Draining Soils.
Native to: SW & Central Europe; Greenland; Turkey
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member
Photo Credit: Jason Hollinger, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum): Excellent for pathways, grows flat and tolerates foot traffic. Likes well-drained soil. Soft fuzzy Appearance. Herbaceous Perennial, Fragrant, Pink flower, Sun/Part Shade, Deer Proof, Attracts Bees. USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.
Wooly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus): Durable plant perfect for filling in between stepping stones, or rock gardens. Soft foliage creates a low, lush mat with pink flowers. Herbaceous Perennial, Attracts Butterflies & Bees, Sun/Part Shade, Drought Tolerant/ Water Wise Groundcover, Deer Proof. USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8.
Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis): A wonderful creeping perennial for filling in. Use between stepping stones, under shrubs, in rockery, around ponds. Tiny green leaves form a dense, low mat ½ inches high. Produces tiny light blue star-shaped flowers which cover the plant late spring into fall. Perennial, Evergreen, Full Sun/Part Shade, Tolerates Foot Traffic, Like Moisture, Deer Proof. USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9.