A group of mostly hardy subshrubs and herbaceous plants , natives of northerly temperate region , and most abundant in the Mediterranean part . In the Alps they are found at as great an acme as 6,000 and 7,000 foot . Thymus belongs to the Mint family , Labiateae . The name Thymus is the quondam Greek name used by Theophrastus for this plant or some nearly allied variety .
The Thymes are delightful and most utile plants in the garden . For the stone and the wall garden they give us several entrancing , minute , blossom bush ; the creeping kinds spring the basis of the alpine lawn ( which see ) , and they are also invaluable for planting in the crevices of paved route .
The common Thyme , T. vulgaris , is a bushy industrial plant with lavender - emblazon heyday . It should be in everyherb gardenso that it may be used fresh , as required , for flavoring in cooking . Bunches should be gathered and attend to dry in an airy seat for winter use .
Thymus membranaceus , from Spain , is a dwarf , neat bush , 6 - 9 in . eminent , with heads of pure white blossom . It is an ornamental industrial plant for a cheery lieu in lite , well - drain grease in the rock garden . It is stalwart , and may be in creased by cutting rooted in sand in a cold frame in other summer .
Creeping Thyme or Mother - of - Thyme . Thymus Serpyllum is the Creeping Thyme of Europe , Asia and northerly Africa and is naturalized in North America . It is a fragrant , cringe works with modest , disconsolate green parting and , in June , heads of mauve or heather - regal flowers . The godforsaken character is one of the most charming and useful of all rock - garden plant , robe any gay slope with a close-fitting evergreen carpeting . It is one of the best of all ground cover for choice bulbs , is neat and brilliant when used in
The crevices of paved walks , and it take form thees sential understructure of the alpine lawn ( which see ) . It may be raised from seeds seed in a goat god of sandy loam in a cold frame in spring ; cut tings can be rootle in sand in a cold frame in other summer , or it may be increased by division of the roots at almost any meter of year .
There are several distinct and beautiful varieties , all of which are increased by cuttings or sectionalization in the same fashion as the type , but they can not be relied upon to add up dependable from seeds . The best variety are : albus , with white flow ers , a most valuable acquisition ; Annie Hall , flesh - garden pink ; aureus , of which the leaf are green during summer , but in autumn turn a brilliant gold colour , and so stay on all the winter ; coccineus , a brilliant industrial plant , with dark-skinned dark-green foliage and cherry-red peak ; and coccineus superbus , having larger fiower heads of the same splendid colour , is larger in leaf , somewhat slack inhabit , and does not creep so widely nor in such a unquestionably prostrate fashion as others .
A Silvery - Gray Thyme . liothyronine . Serpyll um variety pseudolanuginosus ( plausibly the correct name of the plant grown in gardens under the name of T . lanuginosus ) is a most distinct and attractive kind , with leaf densely cloak in silklike grayish tomentum which give the whole plant a silvery - grayish visual aspect . It does not bloom very freely and the prime are a pale , more or less insignificant lilac color , but it is an extremely attractive carpeter and first - rate for the alpine lawn and as ground cover version for choice bulb . It will form beautiful silver - hoary cushions if planted at the top of a dry wall , where it can advert down freely and without restraint .
T . Serpyllum subtraction is a worthful dwarf form , in essence an exact similitude of the common Creeping Thyme , but only half the size of it of the latter . It is peculiarly worthful for small al true pine lawns where little distance is available .
The Lemon Thyme , Thymus Serpyllum variety vulgaris , is often misnamed T. citriodorus . A indigen of the Mediterranean region ; it is a gnome , sub shrubby flora , 6 - 9 in . tall , the leaves of which smell of lemon . T here are several varieties in cultivation . The plant known in gardens as T . citriodorus aureus , with prosperous - colored leaves , make s a clean edging , and constellate s of it are attractive in the rock and roll garden . It should be planted in rather light , short soil and a sunny position to maintain its gold color . In too rich soil it tends to revert to cat valium . It is in creased by division in outpouring , or by cuttings of low sprig insert in a pan of sand in a dusty frame .
Silver - leaved Lemon Thyme . T. Serpyllum vulgaris argenteus has minor leafage margined with ash gray . It is a pretty industrial plant for the rock or the paries garden , and makes a good edging . It is easy increase by small branches , take away in early summer and inserted in arenaceous soil in the cold flesh .
The seed cake Thyme . Thymus Herbabarona , the Seedcake Thyme , is a prostrate creeping flora , not unlike T. Serpyllum in habit and ecumenical appearance , though the parting are rather big , thicker , and more fleshy . The flowers , digest in heads , are pallid lilac in color . The flora Is key out by its strong scent of caraway , to which it owe its name Seedcake Thyme .
Thymus Herbabarona is a indigene of the raft of Corsica , where it was collect on the Vizzatona Pass in 1909 , and introduced to cul tiva tors in England . It is an attractive plant for the rock garden , dry wall garden , and for the crevices of paved paths . It is pro pagated by divi sion of the roots , or minuscule shoots may be root as cutting in sand in the cold skeletal frame in early summer .
Two Other Good Thymes . T . pectinatus , some times bid T. odoratissim us , is a low kind , notable for its very fragrant foliage . Its lavender or pale purple flower are stick out in distinct heads or clusters . T. hirsutus is a low , propagate plant which has haired grayish leafage and rear flower ing stems with heads of lavender or lavender pink flowers . Both T. pectinatus and T. odora tissimus are good rock - garden works .
Beautiful Bush Thymes . Thymus nitidus is perhaps the most beautiful of all the bush Thymes . It shape a little twiggy shrub about 18 in . high , tog with small gray - green leaves , and is cover in June and July with pocket-size rosy lilac flower .
This delightful plant life is probably closely related to the Mediterranean T. vulgaris , but is altogether superior , and priceless in the rock-and-roll garden where it should be given a amply gay position , in the dry bulwark garden and in the front of the bloom border . The foliation has the same redolent smell as T. vulgaris .
This plant may be increased from seeded player sown in a pan of light loam and sand in the cold frame in natural spring , or from cuttings of diminished offset assume in early summertime and inserted in a pan of sand in the frigid frame . This kind is not very stalwart in the North .
Thymus caesp1t1tms ( micans ) progress to swell rounded bushes about 6 in . eminent , of tightlipped heath like foliation . It is a shrubby works , and most at tractive in a cheery position in the rock garden , where its evergreen domes of somewhat golden green , redolent foliation give a very good core . It is also utile for the wry paries garden . The flowers are pale lilac , almost white , but are of no account in comparison with the character istic habit of the plant . It is increased most easily by division , and cutting off may be rooted in the ordinary style . It is a native of Spain , Portugal , the Azores and Madeira and is not very brave in the North .
Thymus carnosus is an attractive small bush or shrub of erect development , 12 - 18 in . high . The set stems are thickly clothed with dark green , heathlike leave-taking , and in summer it bears clusters of small white flowers . The wholeplant is pleas antly aromatic . This Thyme is most worthful in the rock music garden , not so much for the sake of its flower , but because of the outstanding role of its rigid growth , suggesting a clump of minute Irish Yew . It is increased by cuttings take in summertime .
