What is the difference between thyme and creeping thyme

Give thyme full sun, or even partial shade in hot climates. It enjoys moist, rich soil, and is remarkably drought-tolerant once established.

Well-drained soil is a must; the roots will rot in soggy ground. After severe winters, a little pruning is needed to remove dead stems and encourage new growth.

As with most herbs, regular snipping during the growing season improves the plant. Home Recipes Guide to Thyme. If you pull your plant out of the pot and notice black, rotting roots, use sterilized scissors or pruners to snip away the dead roots. Replant the healthy roots in a clean pot with fresh, well-draining soil. Also, excess nitrogen in the soil can cause a thyme plant to grow leggy, wilt, or get yellowing leaves. Steer clear of fertilizers that have a high nitrogen content. Thyme lives about four or five years, so if your plant starts to turn all brown and looks like it's drying out and dying, it may be reaching the end of its life.

Other causes can be a severe frost, a lack of sun, or a fungal disease like root rot. If a harsh winter left stems looking dead, cut them back in the early spring, and the plant may rebound on its own. This sun-loving plant needs at least 6 hours of direct sun to be happy; make sure it's situated appropriately. If you're growing it in a pot, the original plant usually has a life span of about three to five years.

However, it's a prolific plant and self-seeder. After a few years, it may look woody and spindly, so you could decide to cut back its woody stems. Commonly, you'll find baby sprouts underneath. Creeping thyme can grow indoors as long as you have a very bright window that gets at least 6 hours of direct sun streaming in; either that or a grow light should do. Sedum requieni, also known as miniature stonecrop, is a small-leaved, low-growing filler or ground cover that often gets confused for thyme.

You can immediately tell the difference between the two by breaking off a piece and smelling the leaves; stonecrop is not fragrant. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.

Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. In This Article Expand. How to Grow. Propagating Creeping Thyme. Potting and Repotting Creeping Thyme. How to Get Creeping Thyme to Bloom.

Creeping thyme comes in a wide selection of varieties, each with unique characteristics and colors. Here are a few of the favorite types found in gardens across the United States.

Hollie is a life-long gardener, having started helping her Dad work on their yard when she was just 5. She has an affinity with nature and loves to share her knowledge gained over a lifetime with readers online. Hollie has written for a number of publications and is now the resident garden blogger here at GardenBeast.

Contact her at hollie gardenbeast. I love the idea of a multi coloured lawn, could you recommend the best type of coloured thyme to use. Thank you Jewels.

A beautiful flow river of color. It looks so delicate. Our weather is dry and by June it will be real hot. I want the thick river of color. If Creeping Thyme is not for us out here, what do you recommend in many vibrant colors like the Creeping Thyme. Actually, creeping thyme , i. Thymus serpyllum, is quite edible and rather tasty too when used for cooking or making tea. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Tips for planting, growing and caring for "Mother of Thyme". By Hollie Carter June 7, Upright types of thyme, such as English thyme, grow into small, finely textured shrubs. W alk across a carpet of thyme, and you will understand why European settlers brought it to the United States and why it continues to be one of the most beloved herbs in the garden. The aroma is warm and exotic; the foliage is finely textured. While some selections of thyme are essential in the kitchen, others are among the most appealing herbs for landscaping.

The upright types grow into small shrubs, while the creeping ones contain a variety of flower and foliage colors. Thyme is evergreen throughout much of the South? In the Landscape No matter what the season, thyme puts on a show. Its evergreen foliage provides anchor in an herb garden in winter and varies in color from dark green to silver and gold to variegated. In early spring, the flowers open, sprinkling the plant with spots of white, pink, lavender, or rose. Use shrublike upright selections in borders or as small hedges.

Plant creeping selections as edgings or ground covers, between paving stones, or along rock walls. No other herb serves to soften hard lines or angles as well as thyme does.

Thyme also makes an ideal container plant. It is drought tolerant and thrives in the superior soil and good drainage provided in a container. Planting and Care Thyme does best in full sun to partial shade, but not in deep shade.

It is easiest to start from transplants set out in the fall or in spring as soon as the soil warms. Seeds of most selections do not germinate easily and are difficult to handle because of their small size.