🌿 When to Plant Thyme
Perennial in zones 5+; drought-tolerant once established
📅 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone
Thyme is a cool-season crop — plant it around your last spring frost, and you can often start it earlier indoors or sow again for a fall harvest. Find the exact start-indoors, transplant, and direct-sow dates for your USDA zone in the table below.
Select your zone to highlight your dates. All dates are calculated from each zone's average frost dates — see how we calculate them.
| Zone | Last Frost | Start Indoors | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2A | May 30 | Apr 4 | May 30 | May 30 |
| Zone 3B | May 15 | Mar 20 | May 15 | May 15 |
| Zone 4A | May 8 | Mar 13 | May 8 | May 8 |
| Zone 4B | May 1 | Mar 6 | May 1 | May 1 |
| Zone 5A | Apr 25 | Feb 28 | Apr 25 | Apr 25 |
| Zone 5B | Apr 18 | Feb 21 | Apr 18 | Apr 18 |
| Zone 6A | Apr 21 | Feb 24 | Apr 21 | Apr 21 |
| Zone 6B | Apr 10 | Feb 13 | Apr 10 | Apr 10 |
| Zone 7A | Apr 5 | Feb 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 5 |
| Zone 7B | Mar 28 | Jan 31 | Mar 28 | Mar 28 |
| Zone 8A | Mar 20 | Jan 23 | Mar 20 | Mar 20 |
| Zone 8B | Mar 12 | Jan 15 | Mar 12 | Mar 12 |
| Zone 9A | Feb 28 | Jan 3 | Feb 28 | Feb 28 |
| Zone 9B | Feb 15 | Dec 21 | Feb 15 | Feb 15 |
| Zone 10A | Feb 1 | Dec 7 | Feb 1 | Feb 1 |
| Zone 10B | Jan 15 | Nov 20 | Jan 15 | Jan 15 |
| Zone 11A | Jan 1 | Nov 6 | Jan 1 | Jan 1 |
Thyme is a low-growing perennial herb perfect for borders, rock gardens, and containers.
Top Growing Tips
- Perennial in zones 5-9 — very cold-hardy
- Needs well-drained soil and full sun
- Don’t overwater — thyme prefers dry conditions
- Trim after flowering to keep plants compact
- Creeping varieties make excellent ground covers
Companion Planting
Good companions: cabbage, potatoes, strawberries, eggplant
Avoid planting near: none in particular
Harvest Timeline
Snip sprigs anytime; best flavor just before flowering
Growing thyme in your region?
These dates come from your zone's frost windows. For the full month-by-month plan — succession sowing, variety picks, and timing tuned to your climate, not just your zone — our regional vegetable-gardening guides cover your area start to finish.
Find your regional growing guide