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Thymus serpyllum Elfin - Thyme

Thymus serpyllum Elfin
Thyme, Wild Thyme, Creeping Thyme, Breckland Thyme

3,4/5
7 reviews
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5 reviews

Covers the soil well and is drought-resistant. I recommend it.

Sylvain, 10/09/2024

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This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

More information

This slow-growing thyme forms a very low and compact carpet, reminiscent of moss, offering fine, shiny, fragrant and evergreen foliage. Its little flowers are pale-pink. Ideal for filling the gaps between slabs and walls. This hardy perennial is perfect for arid places and poor soils. It prefers full sun and well-drained, sandy soil.  
Flower size
1 cm
Height at maturity
8 cm
Spread at maturity
40 cm
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -18°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil
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Best planting time March, September
Recommended planting time February to April, September to October
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Flowering time June to August
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Description

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin', better known as wild thyme, is a particularly compact variety with slow growth, forming a very low carpet, similar to moss, with creeping stems dressed in small, shiny, fragrant and evergreen green foliage. Its clusters of pale-pink flowers bloom abundantly just above the foliage in late spring or summer. This variety is ideal for filling gaps in paving stones and walls, but can also be used as a condiment. This hardy perennial prefers full sun and well-drained, sandy soil.

 

Native to Europe, North Africa, Western and Central Asia, Thymus serpyllum is a botanical species belonging to the Lamiaceae family. In the wild, it is found in dry and arid places, especially in limestone and sandy soils. Thymus 'Elfin' is a horticultural selection derived from this medicinal and aromatic plant. This variety has a very spreading habit and forms a dense foliage mat that is 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) high and 30 to 50cm (12 to 20in) wide. Its tiny, oval, leathery, villous foliage covers flexible, prostrate, and rooting stems at the nodes, allowing the plant to spread laterally. Numerous essential oil glands are visible under a magnifying glass on the 3mm (1in) long leaves. The scent of wild thymes is slightly less pronounced than that of common thyme, but it is finer and more balsamic. The flowering period is from June to July-August depending on the climate. Very small tubular and bilabiate flowers in pink-purple or lilac colour, grouped in dense whorls, bloom in cymes at the ends of the current year's shoots, attracting many pollinating insects. Like many Mediterranean plants adapted to drought, thyme develops a double root system, consisting of a central taproot, which plays a fundamental role by penetrating deeply into the soil or rock crevices, and a superficial network of very long rootlets capable of capturing the slightest surface moisture.

 

Thymus 'Elfin' is decorative all year round and is very hardy when planted in perfectly drained or even arid soil. Its spreading habit makes it an ideal plant to elegantly fill gaps in pavements, cracks and the tops of walls, or the edges of a stone staircase, especially since it tolerates moderate trampling. It will complement a dry plant bed with lavender, rockroses, shrubby salvias, dwarf artemisias, cotton lavenders, or rosemary. It will thrive in a very sunny rockery, keeping company with Aubrieta canescens, golden or silver thistles, creeping germander, and ceanothus. It is also used as a condiment; its garlicky-scented leaves are highly appreciated in cooking. Used alone or in a bouquet garni, combined with bay leaves, parsley, and rosemary, thyme leaves flavour stews, sauces, marinades, and fish stock. They are also used in herbal tea, known for relieving digestive ailments. As a sun-loving plant, thyme can also be planted in dry borders or in pots, which allows it to be kept close to the kitchen.

Thymus serpyllum Elfin - Thyme in pictures

Thymus serpyllum Elfin - Thyme (Flowering) Flowering
Thymus serpyllum Elfin - Thyme (Foliage) Foliage

Flowering

Flower colour pink
Flowering time June to August
Inflorescence Cyme
Flower size 1 cm
Fragrance slightly scented, Herbaceous, powerful and spicy.
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour dark green
Aromatic? Fragrant foliage when creased
Foliage description Herbaceous, powerful and spicy scent

Plant habit

Height at maturity 8 cm
Spread at maturity 40 cm
Growth rate slow

Botanical data

Genus

Thymus

Species

serpyllum

Cultivar

Elfin

Family

Lamiaceae

Other common names

Thyme, Wild Thyme, Creeping Thyme, Breckland Thyme

Origin

Mediterranean

Product reference810602

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Planting and care

It requires preferably sandy, poor, even limestone and stony, perfectly drained soil to withstand the rigors of winter. It is not very demanding but dreads excessively hot climates in summer. Plant it after the last frost in cool regions, and in September-October in hot and dry climates. It cannot thrive without sunlight and likes to have warm roots. When planted in overly rich soil, it becomes sad and lacks fragrance. In poor and well-drained soil, it is hardy to at least -15°C (5°F) and will live longer. Plant it in a raised bed enriched with gravel, in a rock garden, in full sun against a south-facing wall, or in a stony or sandy embankment. Use any substrate that does not retain moisture. Excess moisture would be fatal to it in winter. Prune the stems after flowering to maintain a compact habit. It may be necessary to replant it every 3 years, as the centre tends to become bare, especially in fertile soil.

Thyme can resist grazing by sheep and goats; regular pruning (on young wood) helps the plant age well.

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Planting period

Best planting time March, September
Recommended planting time February to April, September to October

Intended location

Suitable for Rockery
Type of use Edge of border, Container, Slope, Vegetable garden
Hardiness Hardy down to -18°C (USDA zone 7a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Well-drained, sandy.

Care

Pruning instructions Prune the tip of the flowered young shoots to give the plant a more compact and ramified habit. Regular pruning throughout the year also helps to give a nice shape to the tapetum.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time July to September
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
3,4/5

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