Common Thyme Companion Plants
Thymus vulgaris · mint family family · rotation group: other
The best companion plants for common thyme are Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Strawberry, Rosemary, and Sage. Avoid planting common thyme near Mint, Cucumber. Of the 8 pairings recorded here, 2 are supported by published research and 5 are traditional practice with no controlled evidence behind them.
What to plant with common thyme
| Plant | Claimed benefit | Evidence | What the evidence actually shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | Thyme interplanted with broccoli reduces cabbage looper and imported cabbageworm damage. | Research-backed | The strongest aromatic-herb result in this dataset, and unusually it comes from the field: UMN Extension cites an Iowa study in which thyme, onion and nasturtium reduced cabbage looper and imported cabbageworm damage in broccoli. |
| Brussels Sprouts | Thyme reduces diamondback moth populations on brassicas. | Research-backed | Supported, with the caveat that the sage and thyme diamondback moth result was obtained in a greenhouse rather than an open garden. |
| Rosemary | Shares rosemary's lean soil, sharp drainage and full sun. | Traditional | Sound cultural grouping for a dry herb bed. |
| Sage | Compatible Mediterranean bed partner with matching irrigation needs. | Traditional | Cultural compatibility only.
Source: Herbs, Clemson HGIC |
| Strawberry | Creeping thyme is used as a living mulch between strawberries. | Traditional | Practical as ground cover; competition for water must be managed and no yield benefit is documented.
Source: Herbs, Clemson HGIC |
| Eggplant | Thyme is said to protect eggplant from flea beetles. | Not supported | No field support for aromatic repellency; flea beetles are best excluded with row cover. |
What not to plant with common thyme
| Plant | Claimed problem | Evidence | What the evidence actually shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cucumber | Cucumber's heavy irrigation is incompatible with thyme's dry requirements. | Traditional | Cultural mismatch; CSU warns specifically not to overwater thyme due to root rot. |
| Mint | Mint's runners and high water needs smother and rot thyme. | Traditional | Direct consequence of mint's documented rhizomatous spread plus thyme's root-rot susceptibility. |
The honest verdict
Of everything gardeners recommend planting alongside common thyme, 2 pairings have been tested properly: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts. Those are the ones worth planning your bed around.
The remaining 3 pairings on this page are traditional practice. They circulate on every companion planting chart online, but we could not find controlled evidence testing them. They are not wrong so much as unverified — most cost nothing to try, and interplanting flowers and herbs has its own well-documented benefit of pulling pollinators and predatory insects into the garden.
Widely repeated, not supported: Eggplant — No field support for aromatic repellency; flea beetles are best excluded with row cover.
Every row above links to the publication it came from. See how we grade evidence.
Other recorded effects
1Effects that aren't about a neighbouring plant — what common thyme does for (or to) the garden around it, and the caveats attached to the popular versions of those claims.
| Effect | The claim | Evidence | What the evidence actually shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollinators | Flowering thyme is heavily worked by bees and small predatory wasps. | Traditional | Reliable observationally; no trial links thyme bloom to reduced pest damage on a neighbouring crop. |
Growing common thyme: the numbers
| Sun | Full sun (6+ hours) |
|---|---|
| Water | Low once established |
| Spacing | 8 in apart · 15 in between rows · 4 per square foot |
| Mature size | about 10 in tall |
| Soil pH | 6–8 |
| Days to maturity | 60–90 days |
| Frost tolerance | Hardy — takes hard frost |
| Containers | Yes — 1 gallon minimum |
| Hardiness zones | 5–9 (perennial) |
| Common pests | spider mites, aphids |
| Common diseases | root rot, botrytis |
When to plant common thyme
Zone 6b shownStart seeds indoors: Jan 30 – Feb 13 — 8–10 weeks before your last frost
Transplant outdoors: Apr 10 – Apr 23 — around your last frost date
Expected harvest: Jun 9 – Jul 9 — 60–90 days from planting
Those dates are for zone 6b. Get your own dates by ZIP code →
Varieties worth knowing
seeds- Broadleaf English — robust upright culinary standard
- Narrow Leaf French — finer leaf, sweeter flavour, slightly less hardy
- Silver Posie — white-variegated ornamental with usable flavour
- Orange Balsam — citrus-scented selection for fish and poultry
Variety names link to seeds on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are the varieties named in the extension sources for this crop, not a paid placement — where a source recommended a variety for a specific reason, that reason is the note beside it.
Put it in a bed
The garden planner checks every square against this ledger as you place crops — if you drop common thyme next to something recorded as a bad neighbour, the square turns red and tells you why.
Records for the plants named above:
Same rotation group (other) — don't follow one with another:
Common Thyme companion planting questions
What should not be planted next to common thyme?
How far apart should common thyme be planted?
Does companion planting with common thyme actually work?
When should I plant common thyme?
Sources for this record
- Thymus vulgaris, NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Companion planting in home gardens, University of Minnesota Extension
- CMG GardenNotes #731, Herb Gardening, Colorado State University Extension
- Herbs, Clemson HGIC
- Thyme Key Growing Information, Johnny's Selected Seeds
Record compiled 2026-07. Spot an error or a study we missed? Tell us and we'll correct the entry.