Thyme Purple Creeping

Thyme Purple Creeping is a beautiful low-growing perennial thyme variety, perfect for creating a fragrant carpet of dense green foliage and purple flowers. It grows to around 10cm high and can spread up to 30cm, making it ideal for ground cover, edging, rock gardens, patio gaps, pathways, and border fronts.

From May to August, the plants produce violet and purple flowers that are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Once established, Purple Creeping Thyme is very low maintenance and can tolerate light foot traffic, releasing its pleasant thyme scent when brushed or walked on lightly.

The leaves can also be used like traditional thyme in cooking, although they are smaller and slightly harder to harvest than upright thyme varieties.

Key Features

• Low-growing perennial thyme
• Forms a dense mat of dark green foliage
• Violet-purple flowers from May to August
• Height approx. 10cm
• Spread approx. 30cm
• Suitable for patio gaps, paths, rock gardens, borders, and ground cover
• Tolerates light foot traffic once established
• Attractive to bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects
• Winter hardy in European conditions
• Can be used as a culinary herb

Growing Information

• Sow in spring to early summer or from early autumn onwards
• Best germination temperature: around 13°C
• Avoid very warm conditions for germination
• Seeds are very small and can be mixed with horticultural sand for easier sowing
• Sow on the surface of moist compost
• Press seeds gently into the growing medium
• Do not cover the seeds, as they need light to germinate
• Cover the container with plastic or diffused glass until germination
• Germination usually takes 14–28 days
• Transplant seedlings into trays or pots when large enough to handle
• Harden off gradually before planting outdoors
• Space plants around 30cm apart
• Add grit to the planting hole if soil is heavy or wet
• Keep weeded during the first year while plants establish