search
plants site
most popular


share
Print print

Mint

Mentha selections
Rate and Comment
Mint

Plant a patch of cooling, refreshing fragrance by adding mint to your garden. Undemanding and easy to grow, mint boasts a hearty constitution, often growing where other plants fail. Fragrance varies with variety, as does taste. Versatile in the kitchen, use mint fresh or dried to season culinary creations from soups, to beverages, to vegetables, to meats, to desserts.

Mint quickly scrambles to cover garden real estate; tuck it where you don't mind its wandering ways, or corral its rambles by planting it in a raised bed or a pot sunk into soil. Plants readily cross-pollinate; keep your patch pure by planting mixed varieties as far apart as possible. This herb releases scent when you crush or bruise leaves. Place it near garden paths or benches so you can savor the fragrance frequently. All mints thrive in containers.

Light:
Sun, Part Sun
Zones:
3-10
Plant Type:
Perennial, Herb
Plant Height:
1-4 feet tall
Plant Width:
1-4 feet wide
Flower Color:
Flower color varies, but tends toward pastel or lighter shades
Bloom Time:
Flowers begin in midsummer and continues to fall
Landscape Uses:
Containers, Beds & Borders, Slopes, Groundcover
Special Features:
Flowers, Attractive Foliage, Dried Flowers, Attracts Butterflies, Tolerates Wet Soil, Deer Resistant, Easy to Grow

Top Varieties


(Mentha spicata) offers a mild flavor that gives the plant versatility in the kitchen. Spearmint can withstand higher soil moisture; tuck it beneath a downspout for a happy mint patch. Zones 4-10
view >
(Mentha x piperita) packs the strongest mint flavor. Plants grow 12-30 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Zones 3-8
view >
(Mentha suaveolens 'Variegata') brightens corners of the garden with its white-edged leaves. This mint has a fruity flavorPlants grow to 3 feet tall and wide. Zones 5-10
view >

Garden Plans


Heirloom Garden Plan

Harvest Tips


For the most intense flavor, clip topmost mint leaves before flowers form. You can also gather leaves at any point during the growing season. Frequent harvests cause plants to branch and become bushy, so cut growing tips of plants often. Give steamed vegetables, such as peas, carrots, white or black beans, and eggplant a boost by adding fresh chopped mint leaves just before serving. Mix fresh leaves from mint and basil to weave a cooling flavor into spicy Thai and Vietnamese dishes.

Dry mint leaves and flowers by bundling stems and hanging upside down in a dark place. When leaves are dry, crumble from stems and store in airtight containers. To preserve mint leaves with bright green color, freeze them in plastic storage bags.

Capture the refreshing taste of garden-fresh mint for use in beverages and baked goods by creating a syrup. Boil 2 cups of water and 2 cups of white sugar in a pot until sugar dissolves. Add 2 cups of washed mint leaves, stir, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Allow the mixture to cool, strain, and pour syrup into a glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator up to one year.

Propagation


Division
Stem Cuttings

not what you're looking for? try a new search

search by plant name
 
 

my gardening notebook

hi, Susie
Not Susie?
most recently clipped

Your garden notebook is empty

open my notebook
Close myBhg
MyBhg Quickview

Hello, Susie
BHG.com has special news for you. Find Out find out more

See exclusive offers just for our members. Click here to enter for your chance to win great prizes.

Your ideas and clippings About you
 

 Loading Recent Clippings

Browse through your recent clippings
organized by areas of the site.

 
Close Dashboard
 
ADVERTISEMENT

 

  • Videos
  • Top Tools
  • Calendar
  • Win Daily
Rattle the neighbors with some fresh-from-the-graveyard displays. They're so simple to make, you'll really "dig" it!

You're just a snip away from new plants. Don't believe us? Just take a look at our almost foolproof tips for starting ne...

The end of summer doesn't mean the end of fresh herb flavor. Use these Test Garden tips to make the most of herbs all ye...

Chili

Latest Recipes!

Don't miss this issue's holiday recipes from Better Homes and Gardens!

View this tool

All Top Tools

Todays Daily Prize




 

 
By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Service.