Mother-Of-Thyme

Thymus praecox ssp. britannicus Lamiaceae

Growth habit

Shrub

Perennation

Perennial

Native distribution

Western Europe

Location

Robison Herb Garden

Source of plant

Richters, Harriet Ballard Flannery, Sandy Mush Herb Nursery

Description

Plant with long, somewhat woody, creeping branches, non-flowering or with terminal inflorescence. Flowering stems borne in rows, each with a basal cluster of small leaves, slender, usually not more than10 cm, hairy all round or on 2 opposite sides. Leaves mostly obovate, broadly spathulate to suborbicular,subcoriaceous, ciliate at the base; lateral veins prominent, marginal veins pubescent in the upper part. Bracts similar to the leaves. Calyx 3-5 mm, with tube campanulate, about equalling upper lip, upper teethlonger than wide; corolla purple (description for T. praecox; ssp. arcticus is separated out as follows): leaves 5-8 mm, mostly obovate, densely glandular-punctate; calyx 3-4 mm.

USDA Hardiness Zone

4