7 of the Best Thyme Varieties for Your Herb Garden

An ornamental, this species is strongly aromatic with an herbal citrus scent. Its wee oval green leaves grow in opposite pairs on each stem, and flowers are produced in itty-bitty clusters of lilac, pinkish-purple, magenta, or more rarely, white blooms.

Creeping thyme can serve many purposes in the garden. Its form makes it a fantastic ground cover. The low branches create filler between stones, and its wild habit allows it to sprawl over rocks as well.

Flowering takes place from July through August, and you’ll be sure to see the honeybees visiting to feed on their nectar.

Creeping

Seeds are available in an assortment of sizes ranging from small packets to one-pound packages at Eden Brothers.

Learn more about how to grow creeping thyme as aromatic ground cover in our guide.

3. Garden

The most popular species is garden thyme, T. vulgaris, also called common, English, and French.

An edible dwarf flowering plant with whorled tiny grayish-green leaves and pink tube-like flowers, the bushy herb can grow up to 12 inches high and up to 16 inches wide.

Just rub the leaves to smell the spicy fragrance. You’ll get the best of this herb in terms of flavor if you harvest the leaves right before flowering.

Use scissors or pruners to cut off sprigs, which are the small branches full of leaves.

Thymus vulgaris

Fresh and dried thyme are delicious additions to vegetable, meat, or fish dishes.

Find 500-milligram seed packets available at True Leaf Market.

Looking for live plants instead? These are available at Burpee.

Learn how to grow common thyme in our guide.

4. Juniper

T. leucotrichus, the juniper variety, is a perennial herb with hairy, bluish-green leaves.

Their silvery needle-like appearance growing off the stem inspired another common name for this type: moonlight.

Small, pink flowers bloom from early to midsummer. Edible and ornamental, this species has a sharp and spicy flavor and scent – be sure to use it a bit more sparingly than you might common thyme, and taste as you go.

This species is native to Greece and Turkey, and it appreciates full sun exposure. With a height of six to eight inches and a spread of six to 12 inches, its small size is perfect for containers, and it can also be used as a ground cover.

Exceptional form as a decorative garden accent and broad culinary use make juniper an attractive variety to grow at home.

5. Lemon

A lemon-scented species, T. citriodorus is a small shrub that blooms with whorls of pink and lavender flowers in mid- to late summer.

This variety’s tiny oval green leaves grow in opposite pairs on its thin stems, and feature a unique pale yellow border that makes each sprig an attractive garnish.

Sometimes called citrus thyme, this species is often grown as a decorative ornamental, but it is also edible and may be used in cooking and in medicine.

The leaves are eaten raw, dried for teas, used to flavor oil, and muddled for beverages.

We love this variety for its scent, and neighborhood bees and butterflies adore it for its nectar.

‘Lime’ and ‘Orange’ cultivars are highly sought after for use in aromatherapy. It grows about six to 12 inches tall and spreads 12 to 18 inches.

Lemon

Lemon thyme has a mat-like growth habit, with a compact root system.

A terrific ground cover, border, or edging ornamental, it can tolerate some light foot traffic, releasing that wonderful fragrance if it’s stepped on.

Burpee carries seedlings in mix-and-match sets of three plants.

Packages of 1,000 seeds are available on Amazon.

Check out our guide to learn more about lemon thyme.

6. Mother of Thyme

T. praecox is an evergreen edible and ornamental shrub.

Also known as wild or creeping thyme, the mini green leaves grow in opposite pairs of organized clumps along the stems, and flowers bloom in teensy purple bunches in the summer.