Thyme 'Precompa' – Compact Common Thyme (Set of 3 or 6)

Thyme 'Precompa' is a selected compact form of common thyme, Thymus vulgaris, the upright bushy kind grown for cooking.

It is worth knowing which thyme you are buying, because the name covers two quite different plants. This is not one of the creeping, mat-forming thymes; it makes a dense, low, bushy plant of around 15cm to 25cm with richly aromatic dark green leaves, which is the form that gives you the most leaf for the kitchen. Small clusters of pale lilac-pink flowers open from late spring into summer, and they are one of the strongest bee plants we sell in flower.

It works tucked into a sunny border, along a path edge, in a rockery or in a patio container, and being evergreen it keeps supplying leaves through the winter. Plant it in a sunny, sheltered spot in well-drained soil. Water sparingly once established, since thyme prefers to run dry, and give it a light trim after flowering to hold the shape. Waterlogged ground in winter is what kills it. Each plant is supplied as an established 1 litre root ball.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Common thyme, garden thyme
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 15cm to 25cm tall by 20cm to 30cm wide
• Growth Habit: Compact, bushy, low-growing evergreen perennial
• Perfect For: Herb gardens, kitchen gardens, border fronts, path edging, rockeries, containers
• Foliage: Small, dark green, strongly aromatic, evergreen
• Flowering Time: Late spring into summer, pale lilac-pink
• Planting Position: Full sun. Takes dry soil once established and grows well in containers
• Soil Type: Well-drained, light, neutral to alkaline
• Hardiness: Fully hardy across Britain provided the soil drains freely. It is winter wet, not cold, that kills thyme
• Maintenance: Low. Trim lightly after flowering
• Seasonal Interest: Spring and summer
• Type: Evergreen perennial herb, grow your own