Thymus nomenclature

Introduction

For many years there has been a considerable amount of muddle in the naming of thymes.  Many herb nurseries still use common names rather than the correct binomial name, which can lead to a lot of confusion, for example golden thyme, lemon thyme and creeping thyme, all of which could refer to more than one cultivar.  I am gradually sorting out correct names and each new issue of the RHS Plant Finder includes the results of my research.  Searches through old nursery catalogues have revealed the correct names given by nurserymen to their new cultivars.  Thymus 'Dartmoor', T. 'Pink Ripple' and T. 'Ruby Glow' have at some time been incorrectly assigned to the species T. serpyllum.

I have checked through herbarium specimens and discovered that some of the species available in the nursery trade have also been incorrectly named.  Until correctly identified these have been given the addition of hort. after the name, for example T. comosus hort.  As far as incorrect naming is resolved, I follow the practice of the RHS and continue to use the existing name until the identity of the plant has been verified.

All new names are submitted to the RHS Advisory Panel on Nomenclature and Taxonomy which approves name changes.