Creeping thyme tends to begin blooming in the spring or summer, around the time that most plants start to step out in their best. Thyme tends to have a fairly long blooming season; they can go for as long as a month without stopping those pretty flowers! Botanical name: Thymus spp.

Understanding the Context

Common names: Creeping thyme, mother of thyme, wild thyme Plant type: Semi-woody perennial groundcover Zones: 4-9 Exposure: Full sun Height/Spread: 1 to 4 inches tall, spreading up to 18 inches. Plants may be slightly taller when in bloom. Bloom time: Late spring to early summer, with the blooms lasting for 3 to 4 weeks. Full sun essential — fails in shade.

Key Insights

NC State guide to creeping thyme: germination timeline, bloom by zone, foot traffic reality, and zero-maintenance. Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Creeping thyme in full bloom with light pink flowers next to creeping phlox with darker pink flowers - Undefined Undefined/Getty ... Planted close together, creeping thyme will spread to form a mat that is covered like a blanket with tiny tube-shaped blooms of pink and purple in midsummer, carrying on to early fall. Like many perennials, initial growth is slow but picks up in the second and third years.

Final Thoughts

Like many other herbs, creeping thyme grows best in full sun; the plants should receive about 6 to 8 hours of bright light daily. Creeping thyme plants can also grow in part shade, but they won’t bloom as prolifically. Creeping thyme tolerates a range of soils and can even grow in nutrient-poor earth. The best time to plant creeping thyme is in spring, after the last frost, when the soil has started to warm up. In my Massachusetts garden, that usually means mid to late May. Yahoo: 22 Flowering Ground Covers That Bloom Multiple Times A Year For Continuous Color