Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally to very little. Listed as hardy to USDA zone 8 so should be good down to at least to 20 F and maybe a bit less. This interesting plant makes a small-scale groundcover in a well-drained soil or can be used it in the rock or trough garden or as a bonsai companion plant.

Frankenia thymifolia comes from southern Spain and north Africa where it is found in saline sites including in Algeria where it inhabits the halophyte steppes leading south into the Sahara and in the sub-sea level salt lake region of Chott Melghirof. This should be a great plant for gardens irrigated with reclaimed water. As the specific epithet implies this plant has foliage much like thyme. Frankenia was named to honor John Frankenius (1590-1661) sometimes written as Franke or Franckenius or Franck, who was professor of anatomy, medicine and botany at Uppsala, Sweden. He was the author of Speculum Botanicum, and a colleague of Linnaeus. The genus is the only one in the family Frankeniaceae which consists of up to a hundred species found in the old and new world in both northern and southern hemispheres. Our thanks go out to Robert Abe of Chia Nursery, who first introduced us to this little charmer. 

Information displayed on this page about Frankenia thymifolia is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.