Wooly Thyme

Wooly Thyme

Woolly thyme (T. pseudolanuginosus) – Woolly thyme has a prostrate form with pubescent stems and leaves appear gray in color; good for rock gardens. Creeping thyme (T. praecox) – Creeping thyme, sometimes called mother-of-thyme, is mat-forming, grows only 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.)

How quickly does wooly thyme spread?

Generally, creeping thyme takes one year to get established, and then begins to spread in its second season.

What is wooly thyme used for?

Woolly thyme ground cover may become snack food for aphids and spider mites. Protect it with frequent spraying of an organic horticultural soap. Other than that, and the occasional supplemental watering in the hottest months, the herb is best ignored.

Can you eat wooly thyme?

Growing thyme amongst your stepping stones is a great choice. While only tolerant of occasional foot traffic, it lets off a faint but beautiful aroma when stepped on. If planted out of the range of feet, it can be used as a culinary herb as well.

Is wooly thyme invasive?

This plant is considered an invasive species in some habitats, and tends to thrive in disturbed sites that are shady and poorly drained. Once established in a soil, creeping Charlie will spread quickly through aggressive stolons, forming mats that provide dense ground cover.

Does wooly thyme stay green in winter?

Winter Care

Depending on your location, creeping thyme will either remain evergreen or it will lose its leaves and some stems will die over the winter. You don’t need to prune it, but to protect it as much as possible you can cover it with sand or gravel over the winter.

Can you walk on wooly thyme?

There are very few ground covers that can be walked on, and Walking Wooly™ Thyme, the most silver-leaved of all thyme plants, is one of them. It’s a spectacular sight for the front of the border, cascading over a wall or as a ground cover between stepping stones. It survives nicely with little or no care.

Is woolly thyme toxic to dogs?

Safe Herbs for Dogs

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and creeping or wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) are drought-tolerant evergreens that are safe for dogs and bloom in the spring and early summer.

Can you cook with wooly thyme?

Woolly thyme, however, is not good to cook with, but it makes a great ground cover and works well in planters.

Which thyme is best for ground cover?

Caraway Thyme is the only culinary Ground Cover Thyme in the bunch. Lavender Thyme will spread like a ground cover but it does get taller and is more suitable for areas that need cover but don’t get walked on too much.

Does creeping thyme spread?

This perennial grows to a low height and then spreads out with its vine-like growing habits. The creeping thyme has foliage with a fine texture, and they spread out across the ground, producing flowers with different shades of color, depending on the type.

Will creeping thyme grow in shade?

Categorized as an easy care perennial, Creeping Thyme will not require much from you once you plant it out in the spring. It prefers full sun, but will tolerate some light afternoon shade. Growing in poor, average or fertile, well draining soil, it tolerates even an alkaline soil pH.

Why is my wooly thyme dying?

The most common reasons for thyme dying are: Thyme has root rot or fungal disease due to consistently damp soil. Thyme that is drooping and turning yellow because of damp soils or excess nitrogen in the soil due to additional fertilizer. Thyme plant that is turning brown, dry and dying back.

Can you cook with creeping thyme?

Creeping thyme is in this category: not that it doesn’t have a pleasant smell and great taste, but it is just not used in cooking on a regular basis. The thyme usually used in cooking, T.

Will creeping thyme choke out other plants?

No, Creeping Thyme will not choke out other plants.

Creeping Thyme is a slow grower. This term means it takes a longer time to grow and become fully established when compared to the other ground covers. So it does not choke out-compete the other plants in its vicinity.

Does creeping thyme repel mosquitoes?

Thyme, including red creeping thyme (shown), possesses excellent mosquito-repelling properties. The secret is to crush the leaves to release the volatile oils. You can simply place crushed stems around outdoor seating areas or rub the leaves on skin or clothing.

Does thyme take over a garden?

Mint, oregano, pennyroyal and even thyme will spread through underground runners and can quickly take over the garden. They can be hard to remove as small bits of roots left behind can grow into full plants.

James H. Sterling
Author

James H. Sterling

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.