Magic Carpet Creeping Thyme

Thymus serpyllum ‘Magic Carpet’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Groundcover

Height or Length at Maturity: 1-2″

Width at Maturity: 1-2′ or more
Spacing: 15-18″ apart for mass planting; 6-12″ apart between stones and pavers

Growth Habit/Form: Dense Spreading Carpet

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flower Color: Lilac-Pink
Flower Type: Single

Flower Size: Small
Flowering Period: Summer to Fall

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Silvery-Gray

Fragrant Foliage: Yes

Berries: No

Sun Needs: Full Sun, Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Afternoon Sun

Water Needs: Average

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Drainage: Well Drained

Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Visual Attention, Butterflies

Resistances: Cold Temperatures (-30F / Zones 4-9), Deer – more info, Disease, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Foot Traffic

Description

A first rate Creeping Thyme, ‘Magic Carpet’ lives up to its name by vigorously forming a dense, low carpet of small, slightly woolly, aromatic lemon-scented green leaves. From late spring through summer this carpet becomes covered with clusters of tiny lilac-pink flowers. The butterflies and beneficial pollinators will love the flowers but the deer and rabbits turn their noses up to the plant. At around 2 to 3 inches tall, Magic Carpet is great for use as a groundcover, as a soil cover and spiller in containers or at the edge of walls, or to fill the gaps and crevices between stepping stones, pavers and boulders. A drought resistant and maintenance free plant, just makes sure the soil is well-drained as thymes do not like constantly wet feet!

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing in a low and spreading mound 2 to 3 inches tall and spreading to 18 inches or more over time, Magic Carpet Creeping Thyme tolerates foot traffic well so is perfect for use to fill the gaps between stepping stones and pavers or as a groundcover or underplanting for shrubs, roses, perennials and small trees, such as Japanese maples. Very nice around and growing over boulders or spilling over walls. Flowering bulbs will pop right through it in spring. Also serves nicely as a soil cover and spiller plant in container gardens. A fine addition to rock gardens, herb gardens, butterfly and beneficial pollinator gardens, fragrance gardens, Asian gardens, Zen gardens, cottage gardens and the Xeriscape (low water needs).

Note: When purchasing creeping thyme plants to plant between stepping stones or pavers, the root ball of some creeping thymes can be divided so as to fit in to the smaller gaps. But before doing so, just make sure the plants stems have actually rooted across the soil surface in the pot. If there is only a single main stem and the spreading stems are not rooted into the soil, don’t try to divide the plant!

Suggested Spacing: 15 to 18 inches apart for mass planting; 6 to 12 inches apart to fill gaps between stepping stones or pavers

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Growing Preferences

When planted right and in the right spot, Pink Chintz Thyme is easy to grow. It grows best in light, lightly moist to dry, well-drained soil and full sun. A little shade is okay. Will tolerate rainy periods but constantly soggy or wet soil is a killer. So make sure to plant in a well-drained site.

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