Pineapple mint is sometimes grown as an ornamental. It’s hardy to zone 5, or zone 4 with winter protection, and it grows well as far south as zone 9. Pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens “Variegata”) has furry leaves with a dappled cream and pale green color and a fruity scent and flavor. It grows up to 12” high when upright, though some creeping varieties stay lower, and it’s well suited to zones 6-9. This is according to Sarah Garland, who recommends it for medicinal uses and for repelling insects. Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) has a pungent and somewhat coarse flavor. Orange mint is recommended for flavoring fish, poultry, fruit salads, and summer drinks. It grows well in zones 5-9 and can reach a height of 3 feet. citrata ‘Orange’), which is also known as bergamot mint, has red-tinged leaves and a citrus flavor. It’s hardy as far north as zone 4 and grows south to Georgia and Texas. Like Mentha species, mountain mint prefers moist soil, but it is also somewhat drought tolerant. The virginianum species is especially recommended for attracting pollinators of all kinds to your garden. Mountain mint may grow 1-3 feet tall depending on the species and the setting. Still, Extension articles say that it has a minty scent and flavor and can be used in recipes and teas.Īmerican settlers used mountain mints to treat ailments including colds, fevers, and stomach aches. tenuifolium) is not a member of the genus Mentha like the others. Mountain mint ( Pycnanthemum virginianum/P. Native to Cuba, the mojito mint plant grows well in zones 5-9 and has a top height of 2 feet. It’s a large-leaved variety of spearmint. Mojito mint (Mentha x villosa) is the mint variety most traditionally used in the Cuban highball called a mojito. It will grow from zone 4 or 5 in the north to zone 9 in the south and reaches a height of 1-2 feet. Kentucky Colonel (Mentha spicata “Kentucky Colonel”) is a spearmint variety that’s often used to flavor alcoholic drinks like juleps and mojitos. Grapefruit mint is suited to zones 6-11 and will grow slightly over a foot tall. citrata ‘Grapefruit’) has short stems but large downy leaves with a sharp citrus flavor. Ginger mint is used in candy making and is used to flavor chewing gum and the popular Scotch Mint candies 6. Ginger mint is well suited to zones 5-9 and grows up to 18 inches high. Ginger mint (Mentha x gentilis “Variegata”) is another low-growing mint that has slightly furry yellow-veined green leaves and a strong spicy scent. My mother used to flavor her coffee with it. Chocolate mint goes well in various desserts and beverages. My mother’s chocolate mint stayed at the shorter end of that range. It will grow well in zones 4-9 and can reach a height of 2 or 3 feet. Chocolate MintĬhocolate Mint (Mentha x piperita f citrata “Chocolate”) has dark green leaves, bronzy or purplish stems, and a delicate chocolate tinge to its mint flavor. Sarah Garland calls it a good all-around culinary mint. As one of the taller growing mints, the Bowles cultivator can reach up to 2 feet tall and spreads 4 feet wide. alopecuroides) has soft downy or hairy leaves. Bowles Mintīowles mint (Mentha x villosa var. It will grow in zones 5-11 and reach a height of up to18 inches. Banana Mintīanana mint (Mentha arvensis ‘Banana’) is a low-growing mint with small light green leaves and-you guessed it-a banana-like flavor.īanana mint has a creeping tendency and can be grown in containers or hanging baskets as well as in the garden. Better Homes and Gardens recommends it for flavoring apple jelly. It has rounded, downy leaves and a flavor variously described as “apple” and “wintergreen”.Īpple mint can grow up to 3 feet tall and spread several feet wide. Apple MintĪpple mint (Mentha suaveolens) will grow in zones 4-9 or 5-9. Here are some of the more specialized varieties of mint. Peppermint may grow up to 3 feet tall, spearmint to 2 feet. Both have pink or purple flowers and bright green leaves. Spearmint is preferred when a milder flavor is needed and is commonly used in savory dishes.īoth spearmint and peppermint are hardy as far north as Zone 3. Peppermint, which contains more menthol than spearmint, is more often used in candies, desserts, and beverages when a stronger flavor is desired. The most common, basic varieties of cultivated mint are peppermint (Mentha x piperita) and spearmint (Mentha spicata).Īs you can see from the photo below, peppermint has darker leaves with a red stem when compared to spearmint with its lighter bright green leaves.
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