''Thymus pseudolanuginosus'' - commonly called woolly thyme - is now also classified as ''

Thymus praecox ''Thymus praecox'' is a species of thyme. A common name is mother of thyme, but "creeping thyme" and "wild thyme" may be used where ''Thymus serpyllum'', which also shares these names, is not found. It is native to central, southern, and western ...

'' subsp. ''britannicus''. It was also formerly known as ''Thymus lanuginosus''.

Description

This low-growing creeping thyme with hairy or woolly leaves and stems, can be quite difficult to delineate between other hairy and non-hairy creeping thymes. It is of unknown specific origin in southern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. The leaves in wild creeping thyme vary from slightly glabrous (smooth) to sparsely covered in white hairs, or thickly covered on both surfaces, with the margins ciliate (hairy), or just ciliate at the base. Both growth low to the ground and leaf hairiness could be an adaptation to a cold or snowy climate, for example a mountainous habitat.

Cultivation

''Thymus pseudolanuginosus'' is cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

. It is often grown as a

groundcover Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows over an area of ground. Groundcover provides protection of the topsoil from erosion and drought. In an ecosystem, the ground cover forms the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer known as t ...

, where it can form extensive low mats. It is also used in

rock garden A rock garden, also known as a rockery and formerly as a rockwork, is a garden, or more often a part of a garden, with a landscaping framework of rocks, stones, and gravel, with planting appropriate to this setting. Usually these are small A ...

External links

* pseudolanuginosus Herbs Medicinal plants Garden plants of Europe Drought-tolerant plants Groundcovers {{Lamiaceae-stub