Question
I'm not sure if wild thyme is a weed or not. I have it in my pasture land and it's creeping everywhere. Do cattle and horses eat this little purple devil? Does it push out the grass? Is it a result of overgrazing? How does one get rid of it without harming my animals? I live in Northern NY State. Thank you for any tips on removing wild thyme.

Answer
Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a species of thyme native to most of Europe. It is a low, usually prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long, with oval evergreen leaves 3-8 mm long. The flowers are pink-purple, strongly scented, 4-6 mm long, produced in clusters of several together.

It is an important nectar source plant for honeybees as well as the Large blue butterfly who feeds exclusively on wild thyme. All thyme species are nectar sources, but wild thyme covers large areas of droughty, rocky soils in southern Europe as well as in areas where it is naturalized in North America, such as the Berkshire Mountains and Catskill Mountains of the northeastern United States.
having it is more related to soil pH. most weeds do good in lower pH soils. liming w/turf lime will sweeten the soil(buffer or raise the soil pH) and allow more grass species to grow. you could spot spray with roundup herbicide. most herbicides shouldn/t be applied while animals are in the field. animals can re-enter as soon as it dries.
good luck
rick