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Purple Carpet Creeping Thyme

Category:

A highly desirable and popular groundcover, forming a dense low mat completely covered in lavender-purple flowers throughout summer, attractive fine and fragrant foliage the rest of the season; needs a dry and sunny location, can take light foot traffic

Characteristics

Average Landscape Height:
2 inches (3 inches with the flowers)
Average Landscape Width:
18 inches
Growth Rate:
fast
Genus:
Thymus
Species:
praecox
Cultivar:
Purple Carpet
Flower Color:
purple
Flower Period:
from early to mid summer
Summer Foliage Color:
dark green
Minimum Light:
full sun
Maximum Light:
full sun
Minimum Moisture:
dry
Maximum Moisture:
average
Plant Form:
spreading
Canopy:
closed
Pruning:
spring cleanup
Pollution Tolerance:
high
Other Species Names:
Mother-of-Thyme, Creeping Thyme
Branching:
herbaceous
Evergreen:
1
Density:
dense
Spacing:
16 inches

Ornamental Features

Purple Carpet Creeping Thyme is smothered in stunning purple flowers at the ends of the stems from early to mid summer. Its attractive tiny fragrant round leaves remain dark green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Purple Carpet Creeping Thyme is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

Planting & Growing

Purple Carpet Creeping Thyme will grow to be only 2 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 16 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

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