How big does Wild thyme grow?

About 8 cm × 45 cm after ten years (height × width). Its ultimate size is 5–10 cm × 30–45 cm.

What soil does Wild thyme grow in?

It tolerates these soils: sandy, calcareous, average garden soil.

Hardy down to -34 °C (USDA zone 4, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

Is Wild thyme toxic to children?

No. Reliable sources list it as non-toxic to children.

When does Wild thyme flower?

Flowering: June–September, pink, purple.

How much water does Wild thyme need?

Water need: low. Drought tolerance: high.

Wild thyme

Thymus serpyllum

Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a ground cover plant that reaches 8 cm × 45 cm after ten years. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -34 °C. Drought tolerance: high. Non-toxic to children. Sold in local shops from about PLN 13.

Illustration of Wild thyme — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A scented subshrub only a few centimetres tall that roots as it creeps into a flat mat and is covered in pink and purple flowers, and bees, in summer. Use it in paving gaps, between stepping stones, on dry banks, in rock gardens and as a lawn substitute in small areas; it puts up with occasional footsteps. It needs full sun and lean, freely draining soil and hardly any watering. Several similar creeping thymes are sold under this name, and some of the cultivars really belong to Thymus praecox.

Watch out for

In damp, heavy, airless soil and standing winter wet it dies out in patches from root rot, and in shade it grows thin and leggy. Spider mites can appear in hot, dry summers. Old mats turn woody and bare in the middle: shear after flowering and divide or replace worn-out plants. In hard winters without snow the foliage can brown, but it resprouts in spring.

Key facts

Light: Full sun
Water need: Low
Care: Low
Size after 10 years: 8 cm × 45 cm
Hardiness: down to -34 °C
Foliage: Semi-evergreen
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D June–September, pink, purple

All details

Group	Ground cover
Light	Full sun
Size after 10 years	8 cm × 45 cm
Ultimate size	5–10 cm × 30–45 cm
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Soil	Sandy, Calcareous, Average garden soil
Foliage	Semi-evergreen
Flowering	June–September, pink, purple
Water need	Low
Drought tolerance	High
Maintenance	Low
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Medium
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	25 cm
For dogs	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For children	Non-toxic
Typical price	from about PLN 13

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size	Typical price
size not stated	approx. PLN 13

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Ground cover plants Drought-tolerant plants Drought-tolerant plants for sandy soil Plants that are non-toxic to children Plants for containers Plants for a Mediterranean garden Rock garden plants Fragrant plants

Guide on the topic

Ground cover plants against weeds: which goes where, and how many you need A ground cover keeps weeds out once it has closed up: until then, usually for two or three summers, it needs mulch and weeding. Under trees and in shade, lesser periwinkle, bigroot geranium, barrenwort and barren strawberry do best; in sunny, dry places stonecrops, thymes and creeping junipers. Most perennial ground covers take 9-18 plants per square metre. The tables work out what a square metre costs at today's shop prices in your country.

Building a rock garden: stone, soil and plants step by step A rock garden belongs on a sunny, gentle slope, in lean, free-draining soil: one third garden soil, one third coarse sand, one third crushed stone. Lay the stones, all of one kind, in layers leaning the same way and sunk a third to a half into the ground, so that about two fifths of the surface is stone. Four to six plants per square metre are enough: creeping junipers and grasses make the frame, and between them cushion perennials, stonecrops and thymes flower from March to October.

Looks good next to it

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Cytisus scoparius

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Cornelian cherry

Cornus mas