Scientific Name:
Thymus vulgaris
Pronunciation:
TYE-mus vul-GAIR-iss
Common Name:
common thyme, garden thyme
Family Name:
Lamiaceae
Plant Type:
Ground cover, Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves opposite, most ovate, 6-13mm long x 2-4mm wide, green or silvery-grey, acrid or pungant taste (sharp biting), visible pores on the upper leaf surface that look like pin-pricks.
Habit:
Dense, Spreading
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Container planting, Dried flower or fruit, Fragrance, Herb, Perennial border, Rock garden, Small garden/space
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars on campus or shown may include T. 'Compactus'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Pubescent, Distinctive smell
Colour in Summer:
Green, Silver / Grayish
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Linear, Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Ciliate
Inflorescence Type:
Verticillaster
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Purple
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Not showy, Ovary separates into four tiny mericarps or "nutlets" that are enclosed in a persistent calyx
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Propagation:
Seed, Greenwood cuttings, Softwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Root rot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- HORT 1155
- HORT 1193/1293
Location(s):
- (BED) BEDding, container, or basket
- (FEA) Field lab Equipment Area
- (HPZ) Horticulture PlaZa
- (ONE) Overpass North side East : cv. Compactus