Pros and Cons of Red Creeping Thyme Lawn

A beautiful landscape takes not only time but also dedication. Landscaping can be challenging but is doable. There are so many landscaping ideas that you can try for your yard, including planting red creeping thyme lawn, which is a good substitute for grass lawns. However, before setting it up in your garden, there are things you should consider to determine if it fits your needs. 

Creeping red thyme lawn requires less water and low maintenance to bloom. However, slugs and crawling pests thrive under creeping thyme.

So, should you plant creeping thyme? Read on and learn about red thyme lawn pros and cons.

Red Creeping Thyme Lawn Pros

Below are the benefits you might enjoy if you plant the red creeping thyme on your lawn.

Creeping Thyme Is Drought Resistant

During summer, ground covers find it hard to survive if you don’t water them regularly. Interestingly, this is when the red thyme lawn thrives. This lawn grows thick and attractive in heat and dry soil, giving your outdoor space a breathtaking look.

Since it loves hot and dry environments, you don’t have to water it regularly, saving on water costs. If you want it to flourish and serve its purpose well, you must fight the urge to water it like a grass lawn. Excess watering will make thyme roots rot.

Creeping Thyme Can Withstand Heavy Foot Traffic

Walking on a traditional grass lawn isn’t wise if you want your outdoor settings to stay attractive. Under heavy foot traffic, your grass will thin, dry,  and eventually die out, exposing the ground.

Fortunately, this isn’t true with the red thyme lawn, as it is tough enough to withstand being walked upon. Instead of drying out or dying, this lawn will spread rapidly to fill the space you stepped on. However, don’t overdo it.

Requires Little Maintenance

The cost of maintaining a red creeping thyme lawn is relatively low compared to ground covers like grass. Besides less watering, it doesn’t require fertilization to grow and blossom. The soil’s natural nutrients are enough to make it thrive.

Red creeping thyme only grows up to six inches tall. With this height, it’s not necessary to mow it, or if you must, you should do it once every year for shaping purposes. Its growth happens slowly, taking about a year to grow tall before it can spread rapidly to fill the garden. This rapid spreading and filling of the bare space make it an excellent choice for ground cover.

Creeping Thyme for Lawn Attracts Bees

The pink flowers produced by the red creeping thyme have nectar that is highly attractive to bees and other pollinating animals. As the bees feed on the sweet fluid, they also act as a pollinating agent, allowing pollination of other plants that you may have grown in your garden.  

Creeping Thyme Repels Mosquito

Consider creeping thyme for the lawn if you’re looking for a natural mosquito repellant. With this, say goodbye to those expensive artificial repellents that require refilling. This thyme produces a strong aroma that mosquitoes can’t stand. 

Creeping Thyme Leaves Are Edible

Although primarily used as a ground cover, red creeping thyme leaves are edible. Due to the aroma produced by these plants, some people like adding them to their tea for the same. Also, you’ll find people using their leaves either as a garnish or to add a sweet flavor to already-cooked food such as stews and soups. 

Red Creeping Thyme Adds Beauty to the Garden

Red creeping thyme produces many flowers in its blossom peak, adding beauty to the otherwise green garden. Since they grow and spread too close to each other, they form a dense blanket of a purplish color, not red, as the name suggests. But since this thyme can only grow up to six inches tall, its vibrant color won’t overpower other garden features.

Cons of Red Creeping Thyme Lawn

Below are the demerits of having a creeping thyme lawn.

It’s Costly to Plant Creeping Thyme

When planting creeping thyme for your lawn, you should place seeds far apart, about six to twelve inches apart. With this, you can see that setting it up is quite costly, but the advantage is that there will be no need for reseeding once it’s established.

Requires Full Sun to Bloom

If you grow it in places that receive occasional shade, the lawn may not bloom and spread as fast as you want it to. It will also not be as dense as it should be, so always aim for the full sun.

Thyme May Harbor Slugs and Other Crawling Animals

This lawn only grows a few inches tall, providing the perfect cover for slugs and other crawling animals like snakes. Slugs can destroy your beautiful ground cover if not treated immediately.

Creeping Thyme Is Susceptible to Root Rot

The thyme’s root may rot if the soil is always moist. To prevent this from happening, avoid watering your lawn frequently. It’s best to wait until the soil is dry before embarking on watering. Also, ensure that your soil has good drainage before setting up creeping thyme for a lawn.

Conclusion

Red creeping thyme lawn can be an excellent replacement for the traditional grass lawn. Besides its versatility and beauty, this lawn is drought-resistant and doesn’t require much to maintain. However, be careful not to overwater it as this may cause root rot, which is quite costly to treat.