Wild Thyme
Thymus serpyllum
Family: Lamiaceae · Also called Creeping Thyme, Mother of Thyme, Serpolet, Thymus campestris, Origanum serpyllum, Serpyllum vulgare
Earthy & Warm · Summer bloomer
Wild thyme forms low, creeping mats that erupt in tiny pink-purple flowers each summer, releasing waves of warm, herbal fragrance when walked upon or warmed by sun. It's equally at home tumbling over stone walls, carpeting sunny banks, or filling gaps in paving, a plant that transforms hard landscapes into aromatic gardens.
courage, activity, bravery
In the Victorian language of flowers, wild thyme means “Courage and strength”. In ancient Greece, thyme meant courage, soldiers bathed in thyme water before battle. Medieval ladies embroidered thyme sprigs on knights' scarves as a symbol of bravery. Shakespeare wrote 'I know a bank where the wild thyme blows' in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In folklore, wild thyme marks fairy gathering places and the entrance to fairy hills.
Did You Know?
Wild thyme contains thymol, one of nature's most powerful antiseptics, it's the active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash. Bees make exceptional honey from thyme flowers (Hymettus thyme honey from Greece is among the world's most prized). The plant can form mats over 3 feet across from a single plant, rooting at every node where stems touch soil.
Dry grasslands, rocky slopes, heath, and coastal cliffs on well-drained soils
Wild Thyme is native to Europe, North Africa, Western Asia. It naturally grows in dry grasslands, rocky slopes, heath, and coastal cliffs on well-drained soils.
Scent Profile
“The classic warm, herbal thyme fragrance, released by walking over it, especially on hot days. Wild thyme in flower creates an aromatic carpet that perfumes entire hillsides in summer.”
Quick Reference
- Scientific NameThymus serpyllum
- FamilyLamiaceae
- Native ToEurope, North Africa, Western Asia
- Bloom SeasonSummer
- LifespanPerennial
Cultural Significance
In ancient Greece, thyme meant courage, soldiers bathed in thyme water before battle. Medieval ladies embroidered thyme sprigs on knights' scarves as a symbol of bravery. Shakespeare wrote 'I know a bank where the wild thyme blows' in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In folklore, wild thyme marks fairy gathering places and the entrance to fairy hills.