Red creeping thyme

Questions about red creeping thyme

Does red creeping thyme need sun or shade?

Red creeping 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 red creeping thyme grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

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

When does red creeping thyme flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early June to mid July. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

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 red creeping 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 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 2 in (5 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many red creeping 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 threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.

In the bed above, the planner used 11 in three groups.

Is red creeping thyme poisonous to dogs and cats?

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

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

Is there a native plant like red creeping thyme?

Red creeping thyme comes from Greenland, Europe to Turkey. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Three-toothed cinquefoil: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in taller, white, not red.
• Woolly yarrow: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 6 in taller, yellow, not red.

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

Do deer eat red creeping 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 red creeping thyme?

Red creeping thyme is over by mid July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall.
• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
• Ornamental onion 'Millenium': from mid July to late August, 18 in tall.

What does red creeping thyme look like in winter?

Red creeping thyme keeps its dark 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 red creeping thyme good for bees and butterflies?

Red creeping thyme is visited by pollinators, bees and butterflies.