Common thyme

Questions about common thyme

Does common thyme need sun or shade?

Common thyme grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does common thyme grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does common thyme flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to late June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should common thyme be planted?

12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 14 in (35 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 10 in (25 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many common thyme plants do I need?

At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used five in one group.

Is common thyme poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension and the ASPCA.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like common thyme?

Common thyme comes from Southwestern Europe and Southeastern Italy. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Sea thrift: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; pink or white, not lavender.
• Alpine aster: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour; medium leaves, not fine, not evergreen.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat common thyme?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after common thyme?

Common thyme is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• English lavender 'Hidcote': from late June to late July, 18 in tall (a recorded partner).
• Oregano: from early July to late August, 20 in tall (a recorded partner).
• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.

What does common thyme look like in winter?

Common thyme keeps its grey-green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.

Is common thyme good for bees and butterflies?

Common thyme is visited by pollinators, bees and butterflies.