Do I have the Thyme?

This stuff grows wild in my yard. But it doesn't last through the heat of summer. Is that normal for thyme?

crush and sniff some! my first guess is no. i think i’ve got some of that around that is utterly flavorless.

This is not thyme. Thyme is a small shrub and there is a creeping form which is less woody, but flowers are purple and it's leaves are in both cases small oval hard-ish and a bit fat and clearly smell of thyme. Purple flowers early summer. If i had to guess what you photographed is in the Gallium family, but thats' a big family of 300 species. So i can't help you find out if it's medicinal or useful in any way. Sorry.

This variety of thyme grows locally in our region and is known as wild thyme.  It grows in poor soils over hot, dry summers up to 30C and winters go down to -6C.

The cultivated thyme has rounded leaves that are larger although the flavour is less intense. There is also a variegated cultivar that is lemon scented.

The plant in your photo doesn't appear to be thyme.

They are field madder Sherardia arvensis. The roots are said to be a weaker version of madder for dyeing.

I don’t think I agree with field madder. After all, the leaves are alternate along the stem, and that flower really looks like a mint.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a variety of thyme, or something closely related.


Joylynn, have you smelled it?

Another idea is speedwell, which I am starting to think is more likely. We have them around here, but I am forgetting the latin name of the species.

Thyme leafed speedwell? https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/veronica/serpyllifolia/

I think the flower might have been ground ivy in the background.

It tastes incredibly boring. Must not be thyme.

Picture one and two are showing different plants. I have these in my yard: one with a whole of 6 leaflets and pink flowers is field madder, one with 4 leaflets is foothill bedstraw. I don't know about the one in the first picture, it seems to be seeding already.