Are you interested in doing more to help our native pollinators? You can make your lawn do double duty! A bee lawn can not only provide a recreational space for you, your family and your pets, it can also provide much-needed food resources for bees and other beneficial pollinators.
One way to provide resources for pollinators while keeping the function of a lawn is to incorporate other plants such as dutch white clover, self-heal and creeping thyme. These plants have the right type of flowers for bees.
Once established, bee lawns take a similar (or even less) amount of work to maintain as a traditional lawn, making them an accessible addition to almost any home landscape.
Thyme is a popular culinary and ornamental herb grown in many home gardens However, several aggressive weeds resemble thyme and are often mistaken for the real thing Learning to properly identify thyme lookalikes is crucial for effective garden management. This article will cover 5 of the most frequent thyme imposters and tips for telling them apart.
Why Identifying Thyme Mimics Matters
Correctly recognizing plants growing in your yard and gardens is important for several reasons
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Accurate identification allows proper care and maintenance. Misidentified plants may get inadequate or inappropriate treatment.
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Weeds often require different control methods than desired plants. Mistaking a weed for a useful plant can allow it to spread.
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Some weeds have edible/medicinal value like thyme. But others may be toxic if ingested by mistake.
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Certain weeds are highly aggressive and invasive. Failing to identify them early helps them proliferate and become more difficult to eradicate.
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Removing protected plants due to incorrect ID can potentially lead to legal issues in some cases.
5 Common Weeds that Resemble Thyme
Here are 5 of the most frequent imposters that get confused with thyme based on visual similarity:
1. Creeping Charlie
Also called ground ivy, creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) is a fast-spreading perennial weed. The roundish, kidney-shaped leaves look nearly identical to thyme. However, creeping Charlie has a minty odor and light purple flowers, unlike thyme.
2. Purple Deadnettle
Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is an annual or biennial weed. The leaves are more jagged than thyme but similar in shape and size, causing confusion. Deadnettle can be identified by its purple flowers and lack of aroma.
3. Henbit
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is another mint family weed with leaves resembling thyme. However, henbit has square stems with leaves arranged oppositely in pairs and lobed bases clasping the stem. The flowers are purple.
4. Corn Speedwell
The oval, slightly hairy leaves of corn speedwell (Veronica arvensis) have toothed edges. Tiny blue/white flowers on upright stems emerge earlier than thyme. Crushed leaves lack scent.
5. Thyme-leaf Speedwell
Ironically, thyme-leaf speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia) is named for its similarity to thyme but isn’t actually a thyme species. The oval, smooth-edged leaves and small striped white/blue flowers help distinguish it.
Key Identification Features of Thyme
When trying to determine if an unknown plant is thyme or an imposter, compare these characteristics:
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Leaves – Thyme has very small, smooth leaves less than 1⁄2 inch long with curled edges. Leaves are arranged oppositely on thin, woody stems.
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Flowers – Thyme blossoms are white, pink, or purple emerging in clusters from upright stems in late spring/summer.
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Scent – When crushed, thyme leaves have a potent, distinctive aroma. Imposters like deadnettle lack scent.
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Growth habit – Thyme grows as an upright woody subshrub. Mimics like creeping Charlie spread via horizontal stems along the ground.
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Life cycle – True thymes are perennial herbs while many lookalikes are annual or biennial weeds.
How to Control Thyme Lookalikes
Once an intruder weed is positively identified, management tactics can be implemented such as:
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Manually removing entire plants including all roots and stems
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Repeated cutting to exhaust energy reserves
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Applying appropriate organic or chemical herbicides
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Promoting vigorous desirable plants to outcompete weeds
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Preventing weed seed production/spread
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Solarization using black plastic to kill weeds with heat
Misidentification of weeds resembling thyme is very common. Carefully comparing an unknown plant to a known thyme specimen is key. Focusing on leaf shape, flowers, stems, and other distinguishing features helps differentiate lookalikes. Proper ID is the first step toward effective control of thyme impersonators invading your landscape.
Establishing a bee lawn
Once you have a good idea of which plants you want in your bee lawn, the next step is to decide when to establish it and which establishment method to use. Based on the experiences of UMN researchers, the best times to establish are spring or late fall, and the methods are either overseeding or renovation.
Installing and maintaining a bee lawn provides a good overview of this process.
The best time to seed a bee lawn (and a good time to seed lawns, in general) is in the late fall. This is called dormant seeding, which means planting after the growing season is done.
In this technique, the seed is spread after the soil is too cold for germination, usually in early November to mid December for Minnesota.
- If the seed has the soil-to-seed contact it needs, the freeze-thaw cycle over the winter will work the seed into the soil.
- It is less work than a spring seeding because you will not need to water or fertilize.
- The seed will germinate early in the following spring and have a head start over spring weeds.
Spring seeding is the second-best option.
- For a spring-seeded bee lawn in Minnesota, seed is planted after the risk of frost is over from mid-May to early June.
- This time can work well, but there will be more challenges with weeds.
- Unlike dormant seeding, the site will need to be watered regularly after planting.
Either of these times can work with how you choose to establish as described in the next section. You may wonder if fall is a good time to plant a bee lawn (as it is recommended for a regular lawn). However, fall is not the best planting time for the flowers of a bee lawn.
There are two good ways to convert your lawn into a bee lawn: overseeding or renovation.
How do you determine which one is for you? Base your decision on the existing species in your lawn and the health of your lawn. Basically, you are making a choice to work with what you already have or to start over from scratch.
- If your lawn is healthy and has relatively few weeds, overseeding is better.
- If your lawn is mostly “bad” weeds that aren’t good for pollinators and it has more than a few bare spots, renovation is better.
- If you have areas you would like to correct because of unevenness, compaction, or grading to correct a slope, renovation is better.
- Still not sure? Overseeding is less work so that might affect your decision.
| Why to overseed | Why to renovate |
|---|---|
| Lawn is healthy with few weeds. | Lawn is mostly “bad” weeds that aren’t good for pollinators. |
| Its less work. | Lawn has many bare spots. |
| Lawn needs correction for unevenness, compaction or grading. |
The goal for overseeding is to set back the existing turf temporarily to give space to allow the new bee lawn seed you will be adding a chance to grow. Over time, that existing turf bounces back and grows again.
The first step for this technique is to mow the lawn very short to about one inch in height. The goal is to have some soil exposed as that is where the new seed will grow.
You can also aerate to help establishment in compacted soil even more. For extremely thick lawns, a power rake may be necessary to expose the soil. You can rent both aeration and power rake equipment or a lawn service company can do these steps for you. Depending on your lawn conditions, you may not need these additional steps.
UMN Extension has an older video with detailed instructions on overseeding white clover into existing turf. The steps are the same for a bee lawn. The how-to part begins after the 9:00-minute time point. Note that seeding rate recommendations have been updated from the time this video was produced.
The next step is to rake the excess vegetation, leaving the soil. The site is ready for seed, whether you are planning to plant in spring or dormant seed.
In this method, all the existing plants of a lawn are removed (killed). There are several ways to kill the existing turf:
- This technique can only be done during warm weather.
- It involves spreading out clear or transparent plastic over the area, pinning it down and leaving it on for a month.
- The heat builds up under the plastic and over time kills the plants beneath.
- Drawbacks to this method are that it takes a while and can only be done during a limited period when it’s warm enough.
- July and August are the best times for solarization in Minnesota.
- Special equipment can be rented to physically take off the existing lawn.
- You can use a sod cutter (a gas-powered machine that cuts the grass off at the roots), or a sod kicker (the manual version of a sod cutter) to remove the lawn vegetation.
- This process is not dependent on having very warm temperatures so it can be done at any time of the growing season.
- Drawbacks are that you have to find something to do with the sod that has been removed and taking the top layer of your soil off is removing beneficial organic matter from your soil.
- Generally, the goal of a bee lawn is to use less pesticide, but some people may choose to use herbicides because they quickly and easily remove existing vegetation.
- For tips on using herbicides as part of the renovation process, watch this video.
- Herbicides do have specific temperatures where they are most effective, usually between 65 to 85 degrees.
The Xerces Society has a guide to pollinator habitat site preparation for information on other techniques.
Once the plants are dead or have been otherwise removed, an additional step that will help in establishing is aeration. This is also the perfect time to level out the soil if it is uneven. Before planting, your soil should be raked to remove any excess debris.
After these steps, the site is ready for seed, whether you are planning to plant in spring or dormant seed.
Whether overseeding or renovating, the process of seeding is similar. There are a few differences between dormant and spring seeding.
For both dormant and spring seeding times, spread seed using the proper equipment such as a drop seeder at the correct rate. This video, Home Lawn Conversion Part V Seeding, discusses seeding fine fescues, and many of the techniques apply to seeding bee lawns.
When using a bee lawn seed mixture, the recommended rate is usually around 4-5 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet. For small spaces, it is okay to spread seed evenly by hand as long as you know the correct amount for the size of your site.
An additional option when using the spread-by-hand technique, as shown in the Creating a bee-friendly lawn video, is mixing the seed with sand to help distribute the small seeds more easily.
Lightly rake seed into the soil. The majority of the seed should be lightly covered. If a soil test shows a nutrient deficiency, you may benefit from using a starter fertilizer for spring establishment (this will be labeled as such at your garden center or hardware store).
Keep off of the area (keep pets away, too) just as you would for any new lawn planting. Seeding blankets (also called germination or erosion blankets) can be placed on the site. They are particularly recommended for sloped sites, but they also help people remember not to step there. Watch Home Lawn Conversion Part VII Erosion Control for more on seeding blankets.
Again, just for spring establishment, lightly water 2 to 3 times per day for a few weeks to keep the ground consistently moist. Once you see new seedlings, you can gradually cut back on watering.
With dormant seeding, after you have spread the seed, there is no need to rake the seed in, use starter fertilizer, or water. Winter does all the work.
Does the whole process of overseeding or renovation followed by seeding sound too daunting? Or maybe you are short on time. The good news is that in response to the increasing demand for bee lawns, there are sustainable and organic landscape contractors that can do the installation for you. Check out the Purchasing bee lawn seed webpage for more information.
You may wonder after you are finished if your planting is a success. Realize that your bee lawn may take some time to establish.
In the first year, you should see mostly turfgrass with some foliage from the flower plants and maybe a few white clover flowers. But by the second year, there should be even more white clover flowers, along with self-heal and creeping thyme flowers. Then the bees and other pollinators should follow.
Don’t forget to add a yard sign letting people know about your bee lawn. Signs that you can print yourself are available from the UMN Bee Lab.
How to plant a bee lawn
There are a few things to consider when choosing where to put your bee lawn. It needs to work with how you use your yard and also be a place where the plants will grow well.
Most people with yards probably have several different spots for a bee lawn – backyards, front yards, boulevards, strips between houses, or other areas. Just because you commit to having a bee lawn doesn’t mean you need to convert your entire lawn immediately. It’s okay to start with one area at a time.
Consider how much your lawn is used. Lower traffic areas are good choices for a bee lawn to give pollinating insects space to forage. For instance, the backyard may be used by your family more frequently than the front yard, so perhaps the front yard with its lower traffic might be better for your new bee lawn.
If you have a sloped area, that could be a good option. Your household probably isn’t using the space often. Plus, whoever mows the lawn may appreciate mowing that part of the yard less frequently. Bee lawns are designed to be low input and don’t need as much mowing. This residence in St. Paul has a bee lawn in the front yard.
Take your neighbors into consideration. Ones who are fussier about their lawns may not appreciate your new bee lawn flowers creeping into their lawn. Maybe in this case your backyard would be better. You can also choose a site that is bordered by sidewalks or edging. This will help creeping plants like white clover and creeping thyme stay in their place.
Bee lawn signs can go a long way in neighborhood acceptance. Templates for printing your own signs can be found on the Bee Lab website.
Sites with light to moderate traffic work nicely for bee lawns.
- Heavily trafficked soils can become compacted, making it difficult for many plants to grow.
- If grass doesn’t grow there, the combination of grass and bee lawn flowers will probably not either, unless you can fix the compaction and control the heavy traffic.
Bee lawns will need sun to part-sun conditions. Pollinators tend to be creatures of the sun after all!
- Bee lawns will not thrive in deep shade (sites without any direct sun).
- Not enough sun will lead to thin turf and few or no flowers.
Sites that are already extremely weedy will be a challenge for establishing a bee lawn. If there are too many weeds, they will outcompete the bee lawn flowers.
Bee lawns are adaptable as far as soil types are concerned.
- Whether sandy, silty, loamy or clay, at least one of the common bee lawn flower options should grow in sites where turfgrass is able to grow.
- The species in a bee lawn grow best in soils that are slightly acidic to neutral (pH of 6.0 – 7.0).
- White clover can be tolerant down to a pH of 5.5.
Don’t know your soil type or pH? A soil test from the UMN Soil Testing Laboratory can provide you with that information.
| Plant | Full sun | Part sun to shade | Sandy soil | Silty/Clay/Loam soil |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch white clover | x | x | x | x |
| Creeping thyme | x | x | x | |
| Self-heal | x | x |
The popularity of bee lawns has led to the availability of pre-mixed seed blends that contain the proper ratio of fine fescues along with white clover, self-heal and creeping thyme. As a general rule, per 1,000 square feet, we recommend a seeding rate of:
- Fine fescue – 4 lbs
- Dutch white clover – 1.1 oz
- Creeping thyme – 0.16 oz
- Self-heal – 1.2 oz
Pre-mixed bee lawn seed bought off the shelf usually has a recommended rate of 5 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet and should have a similar proportion of species as the list above. Note that actual seeding rates can vary depending on the density of plants already present in your lawn and the planting method used.
If you want to customize your own mix by buying each species separately and mixing your own blend (such as to include or exclude a certain species), make sure to buy Minnesota-adapted cultivars. For example, there are white clover varieties for southern states that will not do well in the Midwest.
At this time, bee lawn sod is not commercially available. If you are interested in speeding up the development of your bee lawn, you can plant already growing bee lawn plants into an established healthy lawn.
Particularly for creeping thyme, which is trickier to get established from seed, sometimes small seedlings (called “plugs”) are used as another option for planting. Plugs can be hard to find, and this might only be an option for small sites due to the greater cost of plugs compared to seed.
The UMN Turfgrass Science team has put together a list that is updated regularly of where to find bee lawn seed.
Weed Identification – Identify 21 Common Weeds in Lawn
FAQ
Is creeping thyme invasive in the US?
The good news is that most creeping thyme varieties, including red creeping thyme and mother of thyme, are not currently classified as invasive species or noxious weeds in most U.S. states. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re harmless. Creeping thyme has an aggressive growth habit.
Is creeping thyme safe to eat?
Although both the flowers and leaves are edible, they are generally not used for cooking because the fragrance and flavor are inconsistent.
What plant looks like thyme?
Lemon Thyme looks and grows like English Thyme but has the taste and scent of lemon!
Is creeping thyme bad?
Benefits of Creeping Thyme
In addition to being drought-resistant, the ground cover doesn’t require mowing and only needs light pruning to maintain its aesthetic, says Abdi. It is also highly resistant to deer and rabbits, as well as certain pests and diseases that often plague other plants.
What does creeping thyme look like?
Creeping thyme, an attractive herbaceous ground cover that look like a shrub, gracefully spreads to create a colorful carpet. This small plant is loved for its aromatic scent and compact growth, and for its ability to grow in sunny garden environments. The plant features shiny green leaves and tight flower clusters on upright stems.
What does thyme look like?
The word “thyme” may also have been derived from the Greek word thymos, meaning “perfume.” The plants of this genus typically, are very fragrant. Creeping thyme, an attractive herbaceous ground cover that look like a shrub, gracefully spreads to create a colorful carpet.
Is creeping thyme edible?
Most creeping thyme varieties are edible and some are used as a herb. But, be cautious about eating unknown plants or flowers since this can lead to poisoning and severe consequences. Important: Always consult a medical professional and do your research before consuming any unknown plants. Is creeping thyme a perennial or annual?
How do thyme leaves grow?
Thyme-leaf speedwell stems are hairless, and initially grow close to the ground then turn upright, giving rise to flowers and seed-bearing fruits. Flower stems do not branch and can grow up to 12 inches tall. Leaves are oval or oblong and grow opposite one another on stems.
Is thyme leaf Speedwell a perennial?
It tends to grow in diffuse patches and is most conspicuous when flowering during spring. Thyme-leaf speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia L.) is a member of the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) and is classified as a perennial. Plants produce stolons (runners) that creep in prostrate fashion and form new roots and leaves at nodes.
Is creeping thyme drought tolerant?
Yes, this plant is drought-tolerant and does not like too much water. It requires a little water even in hot weather. But it is a good idea to water it if there’s no rainfall for over a week. Is creeping thyme deer and rabbit resistant?