Plant Profile: Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin'

Names

Elfin Thyme, Miniature Thyme, Wild Thyme

  • Photo of Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' (Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin's)

Phonetic Spelling:THY-mus ser-PIE-lum

Genus:Thymus

Species:serpyllum

Family:Lamiaceae

Elfin Thyme is a small-scale variety primarily cultivated for its decorative appeal rather than for culinary use. This plant reaches a height of just 1 to 3 inches and can spread between 1 to 1.5 feet. It thrives best in full sunlight and prefers sandy loam or rocky soils that offer excellent drainage. During the summer, it produces delicate pink tubular flowers that attract pollinators. To manage excessive woody growth, occasional pruning is recommended.

This versatile plant is ideal for cascading over walls, filling gaps between stepping stones, serving as an edge, or enhancing containers and rock gardens. It can also withstand light foot traffic.

For further details, refer to information on Thymus serpyllum.

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Feature Summary

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#drought tolerant
#low growing
#purple flowers
#fragrant leaves
#edging
#spreading
#groundcover
#rock gardens
#pollinator plant
#stepping stones
#poor soils tolerant
#rock walls
#guilford crevice garden

Similar Plants

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Feature Summary

Attributes
Leaves are usable as a flavoring in cooking
Perennial
Flowers
Tiny lavender-pink 4-petaled tubular flowers appear in summer.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
Tiny oval to round leaves are pubescent and slightly fragrant.
Green
Gray/Silver
Elliptical
Orbicular
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Stem
Woody stems with hairs
Brown/Copper
Hairy (pubescent)
Whole Plant Traits
Herbaceous Perennial
Ground Cover
Spreading
Horizontal
Creeping
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
12 inches-3 feet
Less than 12 inches
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Rock Garden
Winter Garden
Container
Walkways
Small Space
Slope/Bank
Rock Wall
Pollinators

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Attributes

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Edibility

Leaves are usable as a flavoring in cooking

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Flowers

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Flower Description

Tiny lavender-pink 4-petaled tubular flowers appear in summer.

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Leaves

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Leaf Description

Tiny oval to round leaves are pubescent and slightly fragrant.

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Leaf Color

spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Stem

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Stem Description

Woody stems with hairs

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Whole Plant Traits

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Cultural Conditions

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin' Landscape

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin': Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees