They’ll lose much of their fragrance and culinary flavor if overfed! Overly-fertile soil is not great for thymes. It prefers the 6-6.5 range but will tolerant slightly-acidic and slightly-alkaline conditions. The pH range of your soil should be neutral, and within in the 5.8-7.5 range. Avoid severe compaction, but make sure it’s dense enough to hold your plant in place. If it’s too loose and fluffy, your plant may “float” on the surface if the soil gets muddy in the rain. Too clay-like and your thyme won’t easily spread. Your soil should be well-draining, possibly a bit on the sandy side. When preparing the area, remove all weeds to prevent competition for water and space. They want soil which they can grasp onto, but not soil that’s too loose. Generally tolerant of poor soil conditions, thymes are shallow-rooted. Be on the lookout for powdery mildew if the humidity is regularly over 50%. Thymes in general are tolerant of humid conditions. When it’s still young, adding additional mulch is a benefit, but leave about 3″ of space between the plant and the mulch. If the soil holds moisture well, the plant acts as its own living mulch once established. In rainy seasons, don’t provide supplemental water. If it seems to be wilting in the heat of the day, it’s a sure sign it needs some water.Īvoid over-watering to prevent potential disease risks. In ideal conditions, it should be watered when the top 3″ of soil gets dry. Water & HumidityĪs said above, this fuzzy thyme is reasonably drought-tolerant. An extended harsh winter is enough to kill a plant, as well. A little afternoon shade in excessively hot climates may be desired. However, temperatures that are consistently over 100 degrees Fahrenheit can cause wilting. If drought conditions set in, its growth will slow somewhat but it will still manage to survive. Heat has little to no effect on wooly thyme as long as it has enough water. While it will grow in partial sun conditions, there still needs to be abundant ambient light. This sun loving plant handles full sun conditions like a pro. Here’s what you need to know to provide optimal conditions for your creeping wooly thymes! Light & Temperature Once in place, it’ll basically handle itself, growing not much more than 3-4″ tall and a foot and a half across per plant.īut for best growth, we’ve provided a cheat sheet. With this species, like other thymes, very little care is actually required. But it’s true that wooly thymes do creep! Wooly Thyme Care Wooly thyme flowers from mid-to-late spring through midsummer. The latter is mostly due to its affiliation with the praecox species.

brittanicus.Ĭommonly called woolly thyme, it’s occasionally referred to as wooly creeping thyme.

It has a synonym of Thymus praecox subsp. Once called Thymus languinosus, it was later adapted to Thymus psuedolanguinosus. Thymus psuedolanuginosus has many different names. It can be used culinarily as well as grown for the delicate foliage. The origins of this fuzzy thyme are indistinct, but are believed to be in Europe. It’s tolerant of heat and drought conditions once it’s established, too! Like other members of the mint family, thyme can spread quickly once established. Popular in rock gardens as well, it’ll provide a nice counterpoint to the larger rocks. It grows well alongside of footpaths or on gravel beds. Light to moderate foot traffic is best for this particular species. However, the plant rarely flowers overall. The leaves have a silvery hue because of their fine white hairs. Little flakes of color dapple this cover, looking like confetti sprinkled overtop. In the late spring and early summer, miniature pinkish-purple flowers often form. These wooly creeping thyme plants stay very low to the ground, forming a dense carpet. Tiny, hairy leaves and woody stems give it its common name. Not as pungently-scented as other thymus species, wooly thyme is still wonderful. Liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength once in the springĪll About This Fuzzy Thyme Species Fine white hairs give wooly thyme a distinctive silvery-green cast. Water when soil is dry in the top 3″, do not overwater. Wooly thyme, woolly thyme, wooly creeping thyme Thymus psuedolanguinosus, Thymus languinosus, Thymus praecox subsp. Source: patrick_standish Scientific Name(s) Let’s explore this edible landscaping plant in a bit more detail! Quick Care Guide A perfect ground cover, wooly thyme looks great along stepping stones. If planted out of the range of feet, it can be used as a culinary herb as well. While only tolerant of occasional foot traffic, it lets off a faint but beautiful aroma when stepped on.

Growing thyme amongst your stepping stones is a great choice. This tiny-leafed plant is a perfect ground cover variety, and can tolerate poor soils. In rock gardens, wooly thyme reigns supreme.

Growing thyme shade