When to plant Thyme
Computed from land-grant Extension planting-window rules (cited below), localized to real ZIP-level median frost dates, not a single national guess. These are national-generic rules by hardiness class; individual state Extension offices layer their own regional adjustment on top (earlier in the Deep South, later in the Upper Midwest). Enter your ZIP for your own dates, or read the four representative locations below.
Planting windows and crop timing here are computed from USDA/NOAA climate data and the university extension sources cited below, not a site visit or soil test. Treat this as a starting point: local conditions vary, and a local nursery or extension office can advise on your exact site. See our full Disclaimer.
Representative timing, by climate band
When to plant Thyme in four US climates
Each column is the most nursery-dense location in our directory within that USDA zone band, computed from that location's own real median frost dates, not a made-up example.
| Stage |
Zones 1-5 (cold winters)
Fort Plain, NY |
Zones 6-7 (temperate)
McMinnville, TN |
Zones 8-9 (warm)
Apopka, FL |
Zones 10-13 (hot, frost rare or absent)
Loxahatchee, FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start seed indoors | Not available | Not available | Not available | – |
| Direct-sow outside | Not available | Not available | Not available | – |
| Transplant outside | Apr 22–May 20 | Mar 24–Apr 21 | Feb 10–Mar 10 | – |
| Fall planting | Not available | Not available | Not available | – |
| Expected harvest | Not available | Not available | Not available | – |
Zones 10-13 (hot, frost rare or absent) (Loxahatchee, FL): Frost is rare here (about 359 frost-free days a year); most years see little or no hard freeze. This is a hardy crop. In climates like this one, hardy and semi-hardy crops typically go in during the cooler months (fall through late winter), not on a frost-relative schedule.
Thyme is a hardy, drought-tolerant perennial to USDA zone 4 that prefers soil on the dry side, per both Colorado State University Extension (CMG GardenNotes #731) and Clemson Cooperative Extension. Set it out from two weeks before to two weeks after your last frost.
Colorado State notes seed propagation happens in spring, but division or cuttings are preferred; University of Maryland Extension adds that thyme seed is fine and should be mixed with sand for even sowing if you do start from seed. In practice it's commonly sold as a nursery transplant rather than seed, per CSU.
No source gives a days-to-maturity figure for this perennial.
Frost hardiness
Hardy. Tolerates hard frost. Can go in the ground before the last frost date.
Sourcing notes
Perennial, USDA zones 4-9, drought-tolerant, prefers soil that stays dry (CSU/Clemson). Seed propagation 'takes place in the spring' but division/cuttings preferred (CSU); UMD notes thyme seed is fine and should be mixed with sand for even sowing. Commonly sold as transplants. No sourced DTM.
Related crops
Growing zones for this crop
Nurseries near these locations
Sources
- Colorado State University Extension, Colorado Master Gardener Program, Herb Gardening (CMG GardenNotes #731) (accessed 2026-08-04)
- University of Maryland Extension, Care of Herbs and Starting Herbs from Seed (accessed 2026-08-04)