Botanical Name: Thymus lanuginosus
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Common Name: Woolly Thyme  
Plant photo of: Thymus lanuginosus
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Ground cover, Perennial, Herb

 

Height Range

Under 1'

 

Flower Color

Pink

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Blue Green, Grey Green, Purple

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Japanese, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Entry, Perennial Border, Raised Planter, Walkways

 

Special Uses

Mass Planting, Lawn Alternative, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:

  • Description

  • Notes

Woolly Thyme is a perennial groundcover growing in a low mat, typically under 2 inches, but spreading 16 inches or more. Foliage is fuzzy and gray-green during the summer months, and tinged with a lovely burgundy hue in the fall and winter. An evergreen thyme, it makes a wonderful groundcover, even an alternative to turf, in low traffic areas. And as it tolerates some foot traffic, its wonderful between pavers and along pathways. It has a pink summer bloom, though it rarely flowers; the lovely fall color fills the void.
Grow in well drained soil in full sun. Adaptive to soil types, but well draining is a must. If using over a large area for a groundcover, plant on 15 to 18 inch centers to ensure that it fills in by the end of the season. Woolly thyme rarely blooms, but it is evergreen. Low water, deer and rabbit resistant, and low-or-no fertilizer.