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Elfin Creeping Thyme {3 1/4 in. Pots, min 25}
46 customer reviews
Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' (AKA T. praecox, T. montanus, Mother of Thyme, Carpet Thyme)
Pronunciation: THY-mus ser-PIL-um EL-fin
Product: 9382
Shipping description: This product cannot be shipped to AZ, CA, NV, OR, or WA

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25 - 249: $7.17 each250 - 999: $6.87 each
1000 - 2499: $6.53 each2500 - 4999: $6.39 each
5000 - 9999: $6.18 each10000 - 19999: $5.84 each
20000+: $5.50 each
Temporarily out of stock. Expected 04/01/2027.
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Content note: AI-assisted: Some images, descriptions, or plant specifications on this page may have been created or revised with the assistance of AI. This content is checked, but inaccuracies may remain.

Please also note: Flower and foliage colors can vary considerably depending on climate, season, sunlight, myriad other growing conditions, and photography. If this plant is new to you, or you would like a broader sense of its natural color range, please view additional photographs [here], and feel free to contact us with questions.
Elfin is dotted with lovely purply-pink blooms in early through late summer. The tiny, velvety leaves range in color from a wintery grey-blue to a lighter sage tone.

Similar to 'Pink Chintz', slightly different blooms, blooms later, smaller leaves.
See other plants that go well with this plant.
General information about Thymus serpyllum (Thyme):
A highly multi-purpose perennial groundcover, Thyme is a low-growing, highly aromatic herb that is often grown as an evergreen ornamental groundcover. It grows well in the cracks between rocks and pavers or stepping stones.

Abundantly fragrant and flavorful, gardeners can’t resist running their fingers through the lacey foliage just to enjoy its lemony scent. Thyme grows especially well in somewhat dry, sunny conditions.

This elegant and low-maintenance groundcover can even be planted in sandy soil and once established it tolerates drought (though it grows more heartily with profuse watering), and light foot traffic. Owing to its acceptance of light foot traffic, your planting options are expanded beyond rock gardens to stepping stones, pathways, borders, edging and filling crooks and crevices as long as you give it well-drained soil.

Butterflies are fond of Thyme and you will discover that she is very disease resistant meaning, once established, you will be rewarded with years of fragrant, delicious, and timeless beauty. Prostrate by nature, Thyme takes on a slight mounding habit if planted in an area with only partial sun.

Thyme is most fragrant and flavorful when grown in dry, lean, well-drained soil. The foliage can be used for seasoning at any time and is easily dried. The blooms are also edible, and are tastiest when first opening. Sprigs of Thyme are wonderful stuffed inside poultry before roasting or snipped into salads for a citrusy punch on the palette.

Gardener Tips
Too much moisture can rot the plants, so you will find it does best with average water and well drained soil.

If you love to have a little design fun in your garden, select an area where you alternate pavers or stepping stones with plantings of Thyme to create a geometric pattern. Some gardeners even opt to write words with plantings of Thyme.

A fun project with grandchildren is to create a series of steps from concrete blocks. Inside each hole in the block, put a small layer of gravel, followed by a cupful of sand, then excellent quality soil and one Thyme plant.

Interesting Facts
Thyme is native to most of Europe and North Africa and as such is often used in those cuisines.

Thyme has been utilized for millennia. Due to its intrepid and vitality-laden symbolism to the ancient Greeks, athletes covered their arms with its oil before tournaments.

All varieties of Thyme have strong disinfectant properties, which brought about the cultivars' widespread use by Egyptians for embalming and during 20th century wartime to sterilize wounds.
Specifications
Shipping
We do not recommend shipping this plant during the heat of summer. This means plant before June or after September.

You may order them, but understand that we will not replace or refund should any perish. (more)

You may specify a future ship date when you checkout.
FREE SHIPPING - Classy Groundcovers offers free shipping, and your plants never spend more than three days in transit.

Precise delivery - another benefit from shopping with us is that you know hpw to control exactly when your order will be shipped.

Shipping information that applies to all plants:
- When We Ship
- You May Specify Your Shipping Date
- Lookup Shipping Date and Tracking Information
- Special Delivery Instructions
- Changing Your Shipping Date
- Accepting Delivery
- Unpacking Your Order
- Returns
Care
If using between pavers or stepping stones, it is recommended that you plant them such that the soil level is one to one-and-a-half inches below the top of the walking surface to allow room for the plants to compress when stepped on.
Deadheading spent flower heads is recommended to promote extended blooming.
It is best to stop harvesting Thyme a month before the first frost. This will allow the more tender stems to harden off some before the cold comes and will reduce the die-back over the winter.
General information that applies to all plants:
- Ground preparation, fertilization, pH
- Planting instructions
- Explanation and description of bare roots
- How to plant bare root plants
- If you cannot plant bare roots right away

Reviews
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Great product
06/10/2020 By William Nutty (NY)
Product reviewed: Elfin Creeping Thyme {3 1/4 in. Pots min 25}

The plants arrived quickly, were packaged well and looked in great condition
Well satisfied
06/10/2020 By James Fitzgerald (MI)
Product reviewed: Elfin Creeping Thyme {3 1/4 in. Pots min 25}

Plants arrived in good condition. Well packaged for delivery and still damp ready for planting. Will reorder from this source in the future
Excellent!
06/08/2020 By kjo (IA)
Product reviewed: Elfin Creeping Thyme {3 1/4 in. Pots min 25}

The plants were shipped quickly and were in excellent condition when they arrived. Very happy with this purchase.
Amazingly Healthy
06/03/2020 By Stephen C Snyder (RI)
Product reviewed: Elfin Creeping Thyme {3 1/4 in. Pots min 25}

Well packed. Good roots. Packed in waked cartons with damp newspaper so very healthy. Classy Groundcovers really seems to understand what plants need. Wonderful!

Well established, healthy plants that are taking hold well. 100% survival during shipping, and 100% making a solid effort to establish in new location.
We now primarily use Google Customer Reviews.
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