Woolly Thyme is a cover crop — grown to build and protect the soil rather than for a harvest of its own. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 8, shrugs off deer, shrugs off dry spells, and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Zones
5-8
pH Range
5.5-7.5
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
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Score Woolly Thyme on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether woolly thyme actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score woolly thyme against your land's real conditions.
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What Woolly Thyme is
Woolly Thyme grows as a perennial and reaches around 4 inches at maturity. It blooms pink in summer. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Woolly Thyme
Woolly Thyme grows in USDA zones 5 through 8. Woolly Thyme does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 120 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
5-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
0.3 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
120+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant woolly thyme in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Woolly Thyme prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Turn it in before it seeds
Cut woolly thyme down or turn it into the soil before it sets seed, while the growth is still green — that's when it returns the most to the ground.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — woolly thyme isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Woolly Thyme offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Woolly Thyme thrives
Woolly Thyme is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 5–8·Where Woolly Thyme growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Woolly Thyme can grow in these states:
See if Woolly Thyme will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether woolly thyme actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Woolly Thyme in my zone?
Woolly Thyme grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Woolly Thyme?
Woolly Thyme is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Woolly Thyme need?
Woolly Thyme needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Woolly Thyme need?
Woolly Thyme prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Woolly Thyme attract pollinators?
Yes — woolly thyme's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Woolly Thyme safe for pets?
Woolly Thyme is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)