Thymus capitatus

Whilst all thymes flower, few flower as handsomely as this one. A native of hot dry Mediterranean hillsides from Portugal to Turkey, it is an especially important part of the flora of Crete where bees make a fine honey from its nectar. At Lambley it has made a rounded evergreen shrub some 40cm tall by as much wide. A light trim during winter or early spring is all it needs to keep it tidy. Masses of purplish pink flowers are produced during late summer and autumn.