THE MANY MINTS
How Many Do You know, How Many Do You Grow?
Yep, mints, as a whole, are fast-growing, spreading perennial plants with stolons just below and just above the ground. They need a place to spread without overtaking other plants or running into a lawn or simply off course. Those who’ve grown them have learned to grow them in pots (and even then, they can “sneak out” via breaking off, stolons creeping out the pots’ drain holes, or, with some, dropping seed). Some of the less vigorous (relative, of course) types are often used as small-scale groundcovers or in tight places such as between pavers of a walkway where light traffic can keep them somewhat beaten to controllable submission.
Their basic needs include sunshine (some tolerate more shade the others, but the more sun, the more oils in the leaf and hence the more flavor; if that’s what you’re after), at least seasonal moisture (a few like regular moisture all year), and, to keep them tighter, minimal, if any, fertilizer. Potted plants will, of course, require more frequent watering and regular light feedings during the growing cycles. The soil doesn’t need to be “organically rich,” as many garden sites and references state; overly rich soils encourage excess growth and reduced oil (flavor) levels. They will grow in heavy soils or, with more frequent watering, in light soils. Mints don’t seem to care about pH.
Mints vary in their hardiness. In general, almost all of them do well in USDA Zones 5 through 8. Several are winter hardy all the way into Zone 3. Some are best left in Zones 8 to 10 and higher. Although many mints are quite hardy, there are some guidelines for planting timing: late February to early March in zones 10 and above, April in zones 5 to 7, and mid-May in zones 3 and 4. Fall planting works for the overtly vigorous monsters that have been chosen to keep yet belong elsewhere with transplanting. They are evergreen in Zones 8 and higher but various degrees of deciduous in 7 and lower.
It helps to keep plants bushy (and flatter, where needed) by regularly pinching off tips of new growth. For those who actually use mint in the kitchen (cooking, teas/tisanes, flavoring drinks, decorative ice cubes, simply as an air freshener), regular pinching is an anticipated and easy part of having a mint.
Slugs and snails love mints and whiteflies just might be their most disconcerting pest, especially in mild winter zones. A critical key to whitefly prevention is making sure the plants get plenty of air circulation by planting them away from fences and walls. Whiteflies are particularly troublesome on indoor plants.
Although seed is available for many species of mint, almost all mint plants available from retailers and especially from specialists have been propagated vegetatively (aka cuttings). Fortunately, such propagation is extraordinarily easy even for beginning gardeners.
Taxonomically, at least in the sense of how they’re presented in horticulture circles, mints are a mess. Too many duplicate and ambiguous or downright misleading common names. The botanical names have also had their share of messiness, with more than 3,000 names having been published in the genus Mentha, at ranks from species to forms, the majority of which are regarded as synonyms or “illegitimate names.” Here's a decent listing of the many mints; I have no doubt I'm missing something.
Mentha arvensis ‘Banana’ (BANANA MINT)
Mentha arvensis var. piperascens (JAPANESE PEPPERMINT)
Mentha × carintheana (AUSTRIAN MINT)
Mentha cunninghamii (KIWI MINT, NEW ZEALAND MINT) [because this mint looks very different from other mints, it has been placed in a separate genus, Micromeria]
Mentha × gentilis (LEMON MINT)
Mentha × gracilis (AMERICAN RED MINT) — cultivars include ‘Ginger Mint’, ‘Vietnamese (Pepper)Mint’, ‘Scotch (Spear)Mint’, 'Madalene Hill Doublemint’
Mentha longifolia (ARABIAN MINT, HORSE MINT)
Mentha × piperita (PEPPERMINT) — cultivars include ‘Basil’ (Basil Mint), ‘Chocolate’ (“Peppermint Patty”), ‘Citrata' (Eau de Cologne Mint), ‘Grapefruit’ (Grapefruit Mint), ‘Lime’ (Lime Mint), ‘Orange’ (Orange Mint), Strawberry’ (Strawberry Mint), ‘Swiss’ (Swiss Mint)
Mentha × piperita var. citrate (LEMON MINT)
Mentha requienii (CORSICAN MINT)
Mentha × rotundifolia (APPLE MINT, EGYPTIAN MINT, WOOLY MINT)
Mentha spicata (GREEN MINT, SPEARMINT) — cultivars include ‘Abura’ (Japanese Mint), ‘The Best’, ‘Curly’ (Curly Mint), ‘Doublemint’, ‘Improved Spearmint’, ‘Mint Julep’ (‘Kentucky Colonel’= same?)
Mentha spicata var. crispa ‘Moroccan’ (MOROCCAN MINT)
Mentha spicata var. crispa ‘Persian’ (PERSIAN MINT)
Mentha suaveolens (APPLE MINT, ROUND-LEAF MINT) — one cultivar, ‘Pineapple’ (Pineapple Mint, a variegated form)
Mentha × sauvis (SWEET MINT)
Mentha × verticillata (TEA MINT)
Mentha × villosa (YERBA BUENA MINT) — cultivars include ‘Apple’ (Apple Mint), ‘Mojito’ (Mojito Mint, Cuba Mint)
Mentha × villosa ‘Alopecuroides’ (BOWLE’S MINT)
Mentha Westerfield “Designer” Mints (DESIGNER MINTS) — many cultivars including ‘Berries & Cream’, ‘Candy Lime’, ‘Hillary's Sweet Lemon’, ‘Julia's Sweet Citrus’, ‘Margarita’, ‘Marilyn's Salad’, ‘Marshmallow’, ‘Oregano-Thyme’, ‘Sweet Bay’, ‘Sweet Pear’
The newest leaves have the freshest flavor but are not intensely so. Older leaves have an intense flavor but not necessarily “fresh” (at times, it can be a bit “earthy”). In fresh leaves, there is a sweet yet tangy essence. The two substances that give the mints their characteristic aromas and flavors are menthol (the main aroma of peppermint and Japanese peppermint) and, in the case of spearmint, L-carvone. Beyond that, the “flavored” mints have their own distinctive overtones (lemon and apple, for instance). Mints are most popular in Middle Eastern, Greek, Indian, and Southeast Asian cuisines/dishes.
In cooking, fresh mint leaves are a nice complement to lamb, fish, poultry, and such vegetables as asparagus, beans, baby carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, peas, potatoes (especially “new”), pumpkin, tomatoes. They enhance yogurt and whipped cream. Fresh mint can be used in salads, sauces, pesto, and desserts including ice creams and sweet smoothies.
When it comes to fruit matches, there’s a long list: apple, apricot, blackberry, black currant, blueberry, cantaloupe (muskmelon), coconut, dragon fruit, fig, grape, grapefruit, honeydew, kiwi, kumquat, lemon, lime, mango, nectarine, orange, papaya, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, pomegranate, raspberry, red currant, rhubarb, strawberry, and watermelon.
They combine well with other herbs and spices, particularly basil, cilantro, clove, cumin, dill, ginger, oregano, parsley, and thyme.
Mint also makes for delicious punches, lemonades, teas, and cocktails. Two very well-known drinks, mint julep and Cuban mojito, both depend on spearmint for their cool zest. When it comes to teas (technically, in this case, tisanes), the multitude of flavors encourage experimentation and lots of summertime drinking.
Keep stems or bunches of fresh mint for 2 days in a glass of water in the kitchen. Freeze mint in cubes for iced tea. Preserve them in vinegar or dry them for potpourri or sachets. Dried mint as an add to foods instead of fresh mint, in my opinion, gives little essential mint flavor.
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The common name “mint” is, of course, applied to almost any plant in the genus Mentha. But it’s also commonly applied to many other plants, almost all of which are botanically related (family Lamiaceae) and all of which have a foliage fragrance based on chemicals akin to menthol. A few of those many:
Agastache (horse-mints, hummingbird-mints, Korean mints)
Calamintha (calamints)
Clinopodium (backle mint, Chilean shrub mint))
Cunila (stone mint)
Elsholtzia (Chinese shrub mint, comb mint, crested late summer mint)
Leucosceptrum japonicum (Japanese shrub mint)
Melissa officinalis (balm mint)
Micromeria (Balkan mint, Emperor’s mint, Indian mint, Mediterranean rock mint)
Nepeta (cat mint [and some are catnip])
Origanum (rock mint)
Persicaria odorata (Vietnamese mint) (family Polygonaceae)
Plectranthus (African potato mint, Indian mint, Mexican mint, Soup mint)
Poliomintha (frosted mint, rosemary mint,
Satureja (bush mint)
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!! THIS JUST IN !! -- a recent study (published in Frontiers in Immunology in April of 2023) found that when mice with Alzheimer's disease inhaled menthol, their cognitive abilities improved. The chemical compound of menthol apparently stops the damage done to the brain that's usually associated with the disease.
© Copyright Joe Seals, 2025
Great article, I love my peppermint!