Thymus 'Purple Carpet' Creeping Thyme

Thymus 'Purple Carpet' is an ornamental flowering evergreen (in mild winters) subshrub offering 3 seasons to year-round interest, blooming profusely in late spring, its foliage turning dark purple in fall. Borne in terminal whorls, the small, 2-lipped, tubular flowers are shades of purple. Nectar rich, they attract bees and butterflies to the garden. Small, fuzzy, dark green leaves are aromatic, having a pleasing spicy scent, especially when crushed.

A Thymus praecox, commonly called creeping thyme, wooly thyme, or mother-of-thyme, 'Purple Carpet', an herbaceous perennial, has a mounding, spreading habit and an average growth rate. Primarily grown as a ground cover, the plant spreads over time by rooting stems to form a dense, flat mat. Shown to best effect when massed or grouped, creeping thyme is an excellent edging plant for pathways or filler for crevices between steppingstones, where foot traffic releases its scent. Well-adapted to urban environments, the plant grows beautifully in beds, borders, or containers and happily sprawls, tumbles, and cascades over rocks and ledges in a rock garden.

Cold Hardy, easy to grow, and low maintenance, 'Purple Carpet' creeping thyme grows best in a sunny location with average to dry, well-draining soils, having a neutral to alkaline pH. The plant not only tolerates drought, salt, and poor soils but thrives in sandy, gritty, or rocky soils. It does not tolerate wet soils, however, which may cause root rot. It is deer and rabbit resistant and relatively pest free.