Field Guide
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Wild Thyme
Thymus polytrichus
Not yet photographed by the community
Tiny aromatic plant carpeting chalk grassland; bees love it.
Species Profile
Not listed as threatened; Green List status in the UK.
- Lifespan
- 3–5 years as a perennial herb
- Size & Weight
- 10–25 cm tall, forming low mats up to 50 cm across
- Habitat
- Dry, well-drained grasslands, heathlands, rocky slopes, and calcareous soils in open, sunny locations.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout the UK, particularly in upland and western regions; most abundant in Wales, Scotland, and southwest England. Non-migratory perennial.
- Diet
- Not applicable; produces nectar and pollen for pollinators.
- Predators
- Grazed by sheep and rabbits; caterpillars of some moth species feed on foliage.
- Mating Season
- Flowering period June to August; insect pollination occurs throughout this season.
- Breeding
- Hermaphroditic flowers with both male and female parts; produces small dry seeds dispersed by wind and animals.
- Behaviour
- Wild Thyme forms dense, aromatic mats that suppress competing vegetation. Highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, making it ecologically valuable. Thrives in nutrient-poor soils where few other plants can establish.
- •The plant's scientific name, Thymus polytrichus, means 'many-haired thyme', referring to its hairy stems.
- •Wild Thyme produces volatile essential oils that give it a distinctive aromatic scent, particularly when crushed underfoot.
- •It was traditionally used in folk medicine and as a culinary herb, though garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is more commonly cultivated.
- •A single Wild Thyme plant can support over 100 species of insects, making it crucial for pollinator conservation.
- •The plant can survive on thin, rocky soils at high altitudes where soil depth is minimal, contributing to upland grassland ecosystems.
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