THYMUS. Thyme. Europe and Asia. Matting to bushy, tiny-leaved perennials and shrubs grown for both ornamental and herbal use. While they are valued primarily for their aromatic leaves, some display showy flowers in short, dense spikes. The following are suitable for rock gardens and small-scale ground cover. Sun, reasonably well drained soil, moderate to little watering, depending on species. Hardy to below 0^oF.

camphoratus. A real jewel, though I haven't found out much about its origin. It is a small shrublet, making an intricately branched dome crowded with small rich green, wonderfully aromatic leaves. I would expect it in time to make picturesque trunks like some of the other “shrubbies” of this group. The flower clusters completely cover the plant in late spring and summer and are quite showy, with broad, crowded bracts and large rose pink blossoms. Drought tolerant.

x citriodorus. Lemon thyme. A dense low mound or mat with dark green, shiny leaves in the typical form. The leaves of some forms have a lemon fragrance and are delicious in salads. Others have a more pungent mixture of smells and tastes and are best used like commercial thyme. ‘Variegatus’ is not only one of the most ornamental, but also one of the most flavorful. It forms billowy mounds 6-8" tall, densely set with yellow-edged leaves. Flowers are pale lavender. ‘Lime’ is similar, with slightly less sweetly fragrant leaves of bright lime-green. ‘Argenteus’ (received and earlier described with question under T. serpyllum) is a little lower and has white-variegated leaves.‘Doone Valley’ is a more compact selection with deep green leaves, faintly edged at times in creamy yellow, and beautiful reddish purple flowers.

hirsutus. A low, dense mat of grey green leaves, blanketed in spring by fluffy heads of pink blossoms. A finely textured, fairly drought-tolerant ground cover.

pseudolanuginosus. A broad mat with tiny, grey-furry leaves, making a most attractive ground cover. The small heads of flowers, if they are produced, are light pink. However, it is not a reliable bloomer.

serpyllum (T. praecox). Mother-of-thyme. A low, dark mat with pungently scented leaves. Flowers in the typical form are unexciting, borne in small heads and colored off-white to pale lilac. In the cultivar ‘Coccineus’, however, the whole plant is blanketed in crimson during the summer months. ‘Elfin’ is well named, for it is a miniature form, pressing against the ground and so crowded with tiny grey green leaves that it is hard to the touch. Flower clusters are also quite small, and they barely rise above the foliage to display their soft pink flowers. ‘Pink Chintz’ is more like ‘Coccineus’ in scale. However, it has grey green leaves and masses of pink flowers. Sun, well drained soil, moderate to occasional watering. Hardy to below 0^oF.

vulgaris ‘Ray Williams’. One of the shrubbiest of the thymes, eventually forming short, gnarled trunks. The stems are thickly clothed in grey green leaves. These form an attractive foil for lilac pink flower clusters in summer. The name commemorates one of the great, late plantsmen of California.