Creeping Thyme

Creeping Thyme, Thymus serpyllum, is a low, mat-forming thyme grown chiefly as an ornamental groundcover and living mulch, though it is also aromatic and edible. Also called wild thyme or mother of thyme, it hugs the ground at only 2 to 4 inches tall, spreading into a dense evergreen carpet of tiny leaves that tolerates light foot traffic and is ideal between stepping stones, in rock gardens, and cascading over walls. In early to midsummer it erupts in a sheet of pink to purple flowers that are exceptionally attractive to bees. Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9, it is tough, drought tolerant, and thrives in poor, well-drained soil and full sun. It is usually propagated by division or cuttings. While milder than culinary thyme, its leaves can flavor food, but it is valued most as a fragrant, pollinator-friendly groundcover.