Wooly Thyme is growing hair?

I have a flagstone patio, about 9 years old set on sand with pea gravel between the cracks.

We planted it with Wooly Thyme plugs and it spread rapidly. The last three summers it has developed a growth on top, it looks like long stands of pinkish hair or delicate long leafless roots. I run my fingers over the top of the thyme gently to pull it and it seems to come up easily.

However, this year it seem to be taking over and almost all of the thyme is covered and although it still can be removed easily enough, parts of the plants are starting to look like they have tangles in them and its recovery of regrowth is very rapid, I have searched the internet for weeds but cannot find anything. Is it possible that this is the root of the thyme now growing on top of the plant?

A couple of notations, we live in a semi arid area that dry summer temps averaging 80 degrees but can be in the 90’s and we have cold winters with 5 months of snow cover.

What a strange sounding issue! I wish you had some pictures of this, because I’m having a hard time imagining it.

It does certainly sound like roots, but I’ve never seen them growing above the ground; how odd.

Maybe if the flagstones are dark colored, they are too hot, and this is an effort to cool them off! Send a picture if you have it, maybe that will help diagnose the problem.

Sorry I can’t help you with this; it’s a mystery to me too!

Jacki

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