Common name: Mint
Family: Lamiaceae, Mint
Height x width: 6"-3' x 12-36"
Growth rate: fast
Foliage: opposite, various shapes and sizes, often serrate or cut margins, surface often slightly hairy, square stems, very aromatic (photo courtesy commons.wikimedia, Simon Eugster)
Flowers: pink, purple or white in whorls on axillary or terminal spikes; summer
Hardiness: perennial, zones 3-7 to 7-9
Soil: moist, tolerates extremes
Light: sun, part shade
Pests and problems: powdery mildew, rusts, aphids, four-lined plant bug, Japanese beetle
Landscape habit, uses: herb and scented gardens, containers, non-critical areas and terrain (since invasive, as for erosion control), wet areas, indoors.
Culinary--pick leaves just before flowering; dry, freeze or infuse leaves in oil or vinegar; teas (single or blended varieties), mint sauce, desserts, potatoes, peas, drinks
Household--supposedly deters aphids from roses, mice from food when leaves scattered, ants and fleas from cupboards and beds
Cosmetic--decoction for chapped hands, refreshing bath
Medicinal--use spearmints inhaled for cold relief; peppermints to help digestion, colds and flu
Aromatherapy--macerate spearmint or peppermint leaves in oil and use to massage head for migraines and muscles for aches
Other interest: named for Minthe, a nymph in Greek mythology who was transformed by Pluto into this herb; mentioned in the Bible as form of tithe payment; laid on floors of synagogue floors and later in Italian churches where it is refered to as Erba Santa Maria; used as a symbol of hospitality by the Romans and to flavor wines and sauces; many varieties already selected and refered to my 9th century monks; used as a strewing herb in the Middle Ages to mask unpleasant odors; native to Eurasia and Africa; crosses readily so over 600 named hybrids.
Other culture: creeping, invasive rhizomes make it undesirable for borders
Propagation: division, cuttings, seed (400,000 seeds per ounce)
Species:
aquatica (ah-qua' ti-ka)--Watermint, cold hardy to zone 6, 6"-36" tall, tomentose stems often red, leaves ovate ¾-2" long, strong menthol flavor
arvensis (ar-ven' siss)--Corn Mint, cold hardy to zone 4, 4-24" tall, ovate leaves ½-2½" long
x gracilis (gra-sill' iss)(x gentilis)--Gingermint, arvensis and spicata hybrid, cold hardy to zone 6, 6-36" tall, leaves ¾-2" long and variably lanceolate, fruity scent and ginger flavor
haplocalyx (hap-low-caa' licks)--Chinese Mint, sweet spearmint flavor and aroma
longifolia (lon-gi-fol' ee-ah)--Horsemint or Silver Mint, cold hardy to zone 4, slender gray-green leaves with spearmint odor
x piperita (pie-per-ee' tah)--Peppermint, aquatica and spicata hybrid, cold hardy to zone 3, 1-3' tall, leaves ovate to lanceolate 1½-3½" long
pulegium (pew-lee' gee-um)--Pennyroyal, cold hardy to zone 7, 4-12" tall, leaves narrowly oval ¼-1" long and bright green, peppermint scent, creeping stems root where touch soil
requienii (re-quee' nee-ii)--Corsican Mint, cold hardy to zone 6, ¼-½" tall creeping to 4" across, leaves minute 2mm, peppermint scent, miniature lilac flowers
spicata (spii-cah' tah)--Spearmint, cold hardy to zone 3, 1-3' tall, lanceolate leaves 2-3½" long, best cooking mint
suaveolens (swa-vee-o' lens)--Applemint, cold hardy to zone 6, 15-36" tall, leaves 1-2" long and rugose (long hairy), apple scent
x villosa (vil-low' sah)--Hairymint, spicata and suaveolens
hybrid, cold hardy to zone 5, variable, pink flowers
Cultivars:
| Cultivars, other taxa | species | leaves |
| 'Alopecuroides' | x villosa | large, round, apple/spearmint scent, Bowles Mint |
| 'Candymint' | x piperita | stems tinted red, used often in teas |
| 'Chocolate; | x piperita | vague chocolate mint scent |
| 'Citrata' | x aquatica | smooth, lemon scent |
| 'Citrata' | x piperita | smooth, purple tingled, bergamot scent, Orange Mint |
| 'Crispa' | x piperita | dark green, strong, purple stems, crinkled margins |
| 'Crispa' | spicata | crinkled, deep green, apple scent, Curled Spearmint |
| 'Grapefruit' | -- | spearmint tinted with grapefruit, suavelens x piperita |
| 'Hillary's Sweet Lemon' | -- | apple and lime hybrid, named for Hillary Clinton |
| 'Kentucky Colonel' | x villosa | large, ruffled, richly scented |
| 'Lime Mint' | x piperita | lime scent |
| 'Menthol' | spicata | pungent, useful in teas, Menthol Mint |
| 'Moroccan' | spicata | spearmint flavor |
| 'Upright' | pulegium | strong peppermint, upright 12" tall |
| 'Variegata' | suaveolens | cream edge, applemint flavor, Pineapple Mint |
| 'Variegata' | x gentilis | gold-splashed, slightly spicy |
| 'Variegata' | x piperita | white splashed, quickly reverts if unpruned |
| 'Vietnamese Mint' | x gracilis | sweet spearmint flavor used in Vietnamese cooking |
| var. villosa | arvensis | Japanese menthol source, Japanese Mint |
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