Lemon Thyme is a versatile, aromatic culinary perennial prized for its tiny, bright green leaves that deliver a refreshing, bright citrus scent and flavor, elevating everything from fish and poultry to roasted vegetables and marinades. This delightful herb is known for its low-growing, mat-forming habit and its ability to produce delicate clusters of nectar-rich pale pink or lilac flowers in midsummer. Its bright, zesty flavor and highly ornamental texture make it a standout choice for kitchen gardens, rockeries, border edging, and mixed herb containers. With its resilient nature and exceptional culinary value, Lemon Thyme offers gourmet appeal and a vibrant citrus fragrance with minimal maintenance.
Growing Lemon Thyme
Light: Full sun; thrives in bright, direct sunlight to produce the most robust growth and concentrated essential oils for the very best citrus flavor.
Soil: Light, well-drained soil; highly adaptable but requires excellent drainage, as it is highly susceptible to root rot in heavy, wet, or waterlogged soils. It performs best in sandy, rocky, or slightly alkaline mixes.
Water: Low to moderate; water regularly until established, then allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. It is highly drought-tolerant once mature.
Maintenance: Exceptionally low maintenance. Harvest leaves and stems frequently for kitchen use. Shear the plant back lightly after flowering to maintain a tight, compact shape, encourage a fresh flush of foliage, and prevent the center of the plant from becoming woody.
Wildlife: Highly attractive to bees and butterflies when flowering; naturally deer- and rabbit-resistant due to its strongly aromatic oils.
Hardiness: Perennial in USDA zones 5–9; requires excellent winter drainage to reliably survive in the colder regions of its hardiness range.
Shipping Info
Lemon Thyme plants are shipped as healthy young starts in 3" nursery pots. Allow 1–2 weeks after arrival for plants to recover from shipping and resume active growth before repotting or planting outdoors.
Growing Zones
5
-
9
Your Growing Zone:
Find My Zone
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Low Temperature
-20°F
High Temperature
95°F
Fragrant
Highly Fragrant
Polinator Required
No
Polinator Friendly
Yes
Flower Color
Green
Yellow
Purple
Pink
Growth Rate
Moderate
Soil
Requires exceptionally well-draining soil; thrives in poor, sandy, or rocky soils
Moisture
Low to Moderate
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Mature Spread
12 to 24 inches
Mature Height
9 to 12 inches
Bloom Period
Mid to Late Summer
Pruning Time
Harvest sprigs continuously for culinary use; shear back by a third in early spring to encourage fresh, bushy growth, and lightly trim again after flowering to maintain a tidy mound and prevent woody, bare centers
Pet Safe
Yes
Perennial / Annual
Perennial
Evergreen / Deciduous
Evergreen
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.7 / 5 from 388 reviews.
Haven’t transplanted yet, but it’s a beautiful plant. We are gifting it to a friend that moved…Friendship Plant is very appropriate!
Very healthy cutting. Followed the instructions and let it get acclimated to its new surroundings for a couple of weeks before repotting. Would not hesitate to purchase from this business again 😃
Plants arrived in great condition. This plant has only been in the ground about 10 days and is growing a lot. The plant cage is 12” tall so it’s doing well. I put guards around my new plants for a little while because I have bunnies who love tender young leaves.
I got 2 mystery plants (one indoor and one outdoor). The indoor was a pilea and the outdoor plant was a white blackberry. White blackberry was dramatic, but it’s making a comeback and the pilea is doing great!
Need to upgrade your packaging. I would suggest taping the plant in place in the cardboard tube on the count that it slid and smashed itself. Luckily, it's a strong plant and should recover. Hoping.for the best.
The plant arrived after a few delivery reroutes. It came with three leaves two so far are healthy one was dying and has since died. The two remaining leaves appear to be doing well.
Customer service here is second to none! Very very happy and already made another purchase. But anyway, I ordered 1 and they sent me 2 beautiful babies! I'm so excited to watch them grow!
This little guy came in perfect. Despite the cat knocking it over and being placed in the soup cup for safer keeping, it’s thriving and happy. Once it’s bigger then it will make its way outdoors.
This is my first year of ordering live plants on line. I live in an apt, but have a nice size patio to do container planting. I'm waking up my green thumb and loving it.
I am very happy for all the Butterworth I got extra like usual which was nice I put them all in pots for now I'll do my project later after they get growing thank you
I received what I believe is a very healthy plant. Unfortunately, the shipping was very hard on the plant. It is quickly bouncing back. Wish I would have known it was a seedling .
The package arrived with no issues. The fig was very stable & looked like it came out of the nursery (it did). The USDA certificates for Gypsy moth /Japanese beetles ensures the plant were checked makes me feel I finally found an institution which cares about the customer & plant. Thanks Jose
I’m excited about this tiny banana tree and can’t wait to see it grow more! It came well packed and in perfect shape. Now this beautiful little plant has burned leaves, but that’s my fault because I left it out on my patio in the sun for a long time. Don’t do what I did. But you can see a new leaf already sprouting in the middle and just about to unfurl. I have no doubt this tiny tree will grow well.
The flavor is bold and complex—less of the light, floral sweetness you get from typical clover honey and more of a deep, almost molasses-like richness. It has a rich, robust profile, and it definitely delivers on that promise.
The texture is thick and smooth, exactly what you’d expect from raw honey. It pours slowly and coats well, making it perfect for drizzling over toast, yogurt, or even pairing with cheeses.
It may be a bit intense for those used to lighter honeys, but for anyone who appreciates bold, natural flavors, this is a standout choice.
They were very helpful and sent me a beautiful dapple dandy and a nice polinizer. The polinizer was not quite as large as the dappled dandy but still looks like a nice tree. I'm waiting for the polinizer to come out of dormancy and hopefully when it does then I'll be completely satisfied. I would purchase from this company again if the polinizer survives the shipping experience.
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From all of us at Blossomdale - welcome in, settle down, and let’s enjoy the growing together.
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Lemon Thyme is a versatile, aromatic culinary perennial prized for its tiny, bright green leaves that deliver a refreshing, bright citrus scent and flavor, elevating everything from fish and poultry to roasted vegetables and marinades. This delightful herb is known for its low-growing, mat-forming habit and its ability to produce delicate clusters of nectar-rich pale pink or lilac flowers in midsummer. Its bright, zesty flavor and highly ornamental texture make it a standout choice for kitchen gardens, rockeries, border edging, and mixed herb containers. With its resilient nature and exceptional culinary value, Lemon Thyme offers gourmet appeal and a vibrant citrus fragrance with minimal maintenance.
Growing Lemon Thyme
Light: Full sun; thrives in bright, direct sunlight to produce the most robust growth and concentrated essential oils for the very best citrus flavor.
Soil: Light, well-drained soil; highly adaptable but requires excellent drainage, as it is highly susceptible to root rot in heavy, wet, or waterlogged soils. It performs best in sandy, rocky, or slightly alkaline mixes.
Water: Low to moderate; water regularly until established, then allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. It is highly drought-tolerant once mature.
Maintenance: Exceptionally low maintenance. Harvest leaves and stems frequently for kitchen use. Shear the plant back lightly after flowering to maintain a tight, compact shape, encourage a fresh flush of foliage, and prevent the center of the plant from becoming woody.
Wildlife: Highly attractive to bees and butterflies when flowering; naturally deer- and rabbit-resistant due to its strongly aromatic oils.
Hardiness: Perennial in USDA zones 5–9; requires excellent winter drainage to reliably survive in the colder regions of its hardiness range.
Shipping Info
Lemon Thyme plants are shipped as healthy young starts in 3" nursery pots. Allow 1–2 weeks after arrival for plants to recover from shipping and resume active growth before repotting or planting outdoors.