Common thyme

Sun

Full sun; flowering and flavour are best with at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then sparingly once rooted. Let the soil dry between waterings; containers need checking more often.

Soil

Well-drained, sandy, gritty or stony soil, preferably neutral to alkaline. Avoid waterlogged ground and rich, heavily fertilised soil.

Height

0.5-1 ft (0.15-0.3 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Late spring to summer; small pale pink, lilac or occasionally white flowers.

Foliage

Tiny, aromatic, grey-green leaves on fine woody stems; evergreen in mild climates but may lose leaves or suffer dieback in cold winters.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Plant with the crown at soil level in a sunny position with excellent drainage.
• Water new plants when the root zone dries; avoid keeping established plants constantly moist.
• Feed sparingly; use a light spring feed only if container plants show weak growth.
• Use a thin gravel mulch rather than moisture-holding organic mulch around the crown.
• In cold, wet climates, keep pots sheltered from prolonged winter rain and raise them on pot feet.

Pruning. In spring, remove dead stems once new growth shows where the living wood begins. Lightly trim leafy shoots after flowering to keep the plant compact, but do not cut hard into bare old wood.

Spring

Check for winter damage and trim dead stems back to living growth.

Spring

Plant into warming, freely draining soil, or repot crowded container plants.

Late spring

Harvest leafy shoot tips, leaving enough foliage for continued growth.

Summer

Leave some flowers for bees, then lightly trim spent flowering shoots.

Summer

Take non-flowering softwood cuttings to replace ageing, woody plants.

Autumn

Clear fallen leaves from the crown and check that containers drain freely.

Winter

Water containers only when needed; avoid pruning during freezing or persistently wet weather.

• Edge a sunny herb bed or kitchen-garden path where leaves are easy to harvest.
• Plant beside lavender and sage in gravel for contrasting leaf shapes and a restrained grey-green palette.
• Use in terracotta pots near the kitchen, keeping it separate from herbs that need consistently moist soil.
• Repeat low mounds along a raised-bed edge or sunny wall; it is not a good substitute for a walkable thyme lawn.

Garden styles it suits: Mediterranean, Dry gravel garden, Potager (kitchen garden), Herb parterre, Sensory garden and Pollinator garden.

Plant it with: Lavender, Common sage, Winter savory, Oregano, Rosemary and Santolina.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other small pollinating insects. Leave part of the plant unharvested during flowering.

• Root and crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and replace badly affected plants in a drier position.
• Woody, open growth with bare centres: trim lightly each year and replace declining plants with rooted cuttings; hard pruning into leafless wood is unreliable.
• Winter dieback: avoid late-season trimming, shelter from cold drying winds and remove dead growth in spring.
• Spider mites, especially under cover: check for fine webbing and stippled leaves, improve ventilation and rinse affected foliage without saturating the compost.

Common thyme is not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. Its leaves and tender shoots are edible in normal culinary amounts, though eating a large quantity may upset a pet's stomach. Concentrated thyme essential oil is not equivalent to the plant and can be harmful if swallowed or used improperly on skin or pets.

• Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

  Forms low, spreading mats with creeping stems, rather than the more upright, woody mound of common thyme.

• Lemon thyme (Thymus × citriodorus)

  Crushed leaves have a distinct lemon scent; common thyme has a stronger, savoury thyme aroma. Leaf colour varies, so scent is more useful than variegation.

The botanical epithet vulgaris means common or ordinary, distinguishing this familiar culinary thyme from other species.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings from non-flowering shoots in late spring or summer, or layer low stems. Seed can be sown in spring, but seedlings may vary in flavour and growth habit.

Accepted botanical name

Thymus vulgaris

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Baleares, France, Italy and Spain.

Measured

Soil pH 7.5 to 8. Average height 21 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.