The second-to-last post [here](https://thetolkien.forum/threads/athelas-in-the-movie.4852/) claims that

>  Actually, the plant used in the movies is white thyme. It grows everywhere, can be used medicinally, is considered an invasive plant and is also given to the pigs to eat. It is also found in purple

However, the images they show are of *Thymus serpyllum* ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymus_serpyllum)), whereas the only references I can find to invasive thyme in NZ are about *Thymus vulgarum* (*wild* thyme) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymus_vulgaris)), e.g. [here](https://openalex.org/works?page=1&filter=default.search%3Athyme%20invasive%20new%20zealand&zoom=w2001954707).

The last post says it's common myrtle (*Myrtus communis*).

Hard to tell scale from the screenshot: [this picture](https://tolkiengateway.net/w/images/4/49/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_-_The_Fellowship_of_the_Ring_-_Athelas.jpg) suggests the flowers are quite small (~ 1 cm in diameter?)

[![enter image description here][1]][1]

* top left: LoTR still capture (from https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Athelas?file=Athelas.jpg)
* top right: common myrtle, Giancarlo Dessì, CC-BY-SA, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Myrtus_communis10.jpg
* bottom left: elfin thyme, KENPEI, CC-BY-SA, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymus_serpyllum#/media/File:Thymus_serpyllum_var_albus1.jpg
* bottom right: wild thyme, Ferran Turmo Gort, CC-BY-NC-SA, https://inaturalist.nz/photos/48088


  [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/0bU27SxC.jpg