Thymus 'Pink Chintz'

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit

'Pink Chintz' is a flowering, dwarf, evergreen (in mild winters) subshrub offering 3 seasons to year-round interest, blooming profusely from early to midsummer. Borne in terminal whorls, the small, 2-lipped, tubular pale pink flowers are nectar rich and well-loved by bees and butterflies.

A Thymus serpyllum, commonly called creeping thyme, wild thyme, or mother-of-thyme, 'Pink Chintz', an herbaceous perennial, has a compact, mat-forming habit and a rapid growth rate. Primarily grown as a ground cover, the plant spreads over time by rooting stems. The small, fuzzy, dark green leaves are aromatic, having a pleasing scent when crushed. Shown to best effect when massed, 'Pink Chintz' is an excellent edging plant for pathways or filler for crevices between steppingstones, where foot traffic releases its aroma. Well-adapted to urban environments, the plant grows beautifully in beds, borders, or containers, and it will happily sprawl, tumble, and cascade over rocks and ledges in a rock garden.

Easy to grow and low maintenance, creeping thyme prefers a sunny location with average to dry well-draining soils, having a neutral to alkaline pH. It not only tolerates poor soils but thrives in sandy, gritty, or rocky soils. However, it will not tolerate wet soils. Creeping thyme is deer, rabbit, and disease resistant and relatively pest free.