Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Creeping Lemon Thyme (Thymus citriodorus 'Aureus')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Golden Lemon Thyme, Creeping Lemon Thyme.

More about creeping lemon thyme

About Creeping Lemon Thyme

Thymus citriodorus 'Aureus' · also called Golden Lemon Thyme, Creeping Lemon Thyme · herb

Thymus citriodorus 'Aureus' is a low, spreading lemon-scented thyme with tiny gold-variegated leaves that release a bright citrus aroma when brushed. Ideal for paths, cracks, edging and pots, it is drought-tolerant, bee-friendly and culinary. It needs full sun and sharp drainage, forming a fragrant, evergreen golden carpet.

Cold limit: USDA 5-9 (hardy perennial outdoors) · RHS H5 (15-24°C)

Watch for — Root rot from wet soil: The main cause of decline, from heavy or waterlogged ground. Plant in gritty, sharply drained soil, water only when the surface dries and avoid standing water, especially in winter.

What creeping lemon thyme's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — creeping lemon thyme is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9 (hardy perennial outdoors), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-9 (hardy perennial outdoors) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Creeping Lemon Thyme is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for creeping lemon thyme as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can creeping lemon thyme go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 (hardy perennial outdoors) and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when creeping lemon thyme can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Creeping Lemon Thyme hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is creeping lemon thyme cold hardy?

Yes — creeping lemon thyme is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 5-9 (hardy perennial outdoors), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Creeping Lemon Thyme is hardy across USDA 5-9 (hardy perennial outdoors); it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature creeping lemon thyme can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Creeping Lemon Thyme is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is creeping lemon thyme?

Creeping Lemon Thyme is rated USDA 5-9 (hardy perennial outdoors) and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can creeping lemon thyme survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-9 (hardy perennial outdoors) and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to creeping lemon thyme below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.