Lemon thyme is an herb in the mint family possibly native to Europe. It has had several name changes and at one time was thought to be a hybrid. DNA testing has now determined it to be a distinct species. Genus name comes from the Greek word thymos and the species name means lemon-scented. This evergreen subshrub mounds to 6-12 inches high and can spread to 1 foot wide. It is grown as a garden plant, as a culinary herb and is also used in herbal medicine. The tubular pink flowers attract pollinators and the green leaves have a nice lemony scent and are edible. It is deer, rabbit, drought and heat tolerant. Lemon thyme prefers well-drained sandy or rocky soil in full to partial sun. Use this plant as a ground cover, in rock gardens, in the front of the border, in an edible garden or in containers. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Root rot will occur in too-moist soils. More information on Thymus .
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.