Common Mint is a vigorous, spreading perennial herb of the mint family, grown in gardens worldwide for its cool, refreshing foliage.
Crop details
Cultivation
Common Mint is a perennial that can be direct-sown or transplanted into the garden. It grows best in full sun to part shade, though plants in shadier spots show somewhat less vigor. Because it spreads indefinitely by underground rhizomes, it is often confined to containers to keep it from overtaking nearby beds, and it survives winters reliably in zone 6 and warmer, with mulch or container overwintering allowing it to persist as far north as zone 3. Since mints cross-pollinate readily, seed-grown plants can vary noticeably in leaf shape from one another.
Harvest & Storage
Plants reach maturity roughly 75 days after sowing, at which point the foliage is ready to be picked for use.
Uses & Applications
Common Mint is grown chiefly as a culinary herb, its leaves used fresh or dried in cooking and brewed into teas. It is also valued for aromatherapy and carries a range of traditional medicinal uses.
Botanical Lineage
Taxonomic Rank—
General identification, edible-use, and cultivation information only — not medical or safety advice. It may be incomplete or wrong; do not eat or use a plant medicinally, or make growing decisions, based only on this page.