Creeping thyme · Cluster
Creeping Thyme Varieties: Every Type Compared
Ten varieties, and the names are not what you think. Buy by cultivar, not by common name.
Pet-safe: the ASPCA lists common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) as non-toxic, while creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is not separately listed.
In this cluster
- Zones: 4–9
- Sources: university extension only
- Height: 2–3 in mat
Start with the job, not the name. Thyme’s common names are genuinely unreliable — see Mother of Thyme vs Wild Thyme vs Breckland Thyme, where two extension services disagree about what you are even buying.
Walking on it? → Pavers & paths
Choosing a variety? → Varieties
Ready to sow? → How to plant and Seed rates
The thyme range
Buy by cultivar, not by common name.
The flagship is ThymeWalk red creeping thyme. For paving joints, the smallest is ElfWalk elfin thyme. For a white flower, WhiteWalk. To trial several, the variety collection.
Creeping Thyme pillar →Related guides
Cluster index; every page below carries its own university-extension sources.
Explore the full Creeping Thyme Varieties library
Species & varieties
- Elfin Thyme: The Smallest Creeping Thyme
- Red Creeping Thyme ('Coccineus'): What You Actually Get
- Woolly Thyme: Silver, Soft, Not for Wet Ground