Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Other Names:  Golden Lemon Thyme

Description:

This variety brightens the landscape with its yellow-cream variegated foliage; fragrant foliage is ideal for teas with its citrus scent, makes a fine herb for the garden edge; trim out all shoots that revert to green

Edible Qualities

Aureus Lemon Thyme is a perennial herb that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. The tiny fragrant round green leaves with distinctive gold edges and tinges of creamy white which emerge chartreuse in spring can be harvested at any time in the season. The leaves have a savory taste and a pleasant fragrance.

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Drying
• Seasoning
• Tea

Features & Attributes

Aureus Lemon Thyme is smothered in stunning spikes of lavender flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer. Its attractive tiny fragrant round leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning green in color with distinctive gold edges and tinges of creamy white the rest of the year.

This is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial herb with a spreading, ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Aureus Lemon Thyme is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Herb Gardens

Planting & Growing

Aureus Lemon Thyme will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 8 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 14 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant is quite ornamental as well as edible, and is as much at home in a landscape or flower garden as it is in a designated herb garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.