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Wooly Thyme

Thymus pseudolanuginosus (TY-mus soo-doh-lan-oo-gin-OH-sus)

Family: Lamiaceae Non-native Groundcover (<1 ft)

Wooly thyme is a very short prostrate herb in the Lamiaceae (mint) family from Europe. It grows well in dry well-drained soils in the full sun. It withstands poor rocky soils, drought, deer browsing, foot traffic and air pollution well. This plant will not tolerate clay soils or wet sites. Mass plant in the front of a border and enjoy the butterflies and bees that visit the flowers. Plant it between stepping stones or have it spill over a rock wall. Prune it to maintain shape and encourage bushy growth along its woody stems. Unlike other thymes, this one is not fragrant and is not good for culinary purposes. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems though wet soils will cause root and crown rot. More information on Thymus .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 49 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Native alternatives Phlox stolonifera

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Herbaceous Perennial; Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 2 in. - 0 ft. 6 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Horizontal; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Tiny 1/8 inch gray-green simple, elliptic leaves usually covered in hairs on both sides.
Flower color
Pink
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Tiny pale pink tubular flowers appear in leaf axils sporadically in the summer.
Bloom time
Summer
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Hairy stems turn woody with age.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Southern Europe
Wildlife value
Flowers attract butterflies and bees.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Rock Wall; Small Space; Walkways
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#stepping stones #rock garden #air pollution tolerant #nectar plant #low maintenance #drought tolerant #border front #deer resistant #food source summer #hairy leaves #mass planting #dry soils tolerant #butterfly friendly #Guilford Crevice Garden #bee friendly #lawn alternative #woody perennial #subshrub #foot traffic tolerant #small spaces #border planting #buncombe county sun and shade garden #wildlife friendly
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Dry Soil; Foot Traffic; Pollution

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.