Many Mints: The Mint Family

April/May 2009
By Jim Long 
MM4
Image Gallery
Pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens 'Variegata')
Saxon Holt
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

According to Barbara Perry Lawton, author of Mints, A Family of Herbs and Ornamentals (Timber Press, 2002), the mint family, Lamiaceae or Labiatae, includes horehound (Marrubium vulgare), lavender (Lavandula spp.), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), oregano (Origanum vulgare), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), thyme (Thymus spp.) and several others. All the plants in the mint family are referred to as mints, while the term “true mints” describes only those belonging to the Mentha genus.

RELATED CONTENT

The best known of the mints is spearmint (Mentha spicata). It has a strong scent and flavor and is a recognizable culinary seasoning herb around the world. The plants can grow to 36 inches tall, and are hardy to Zone 5; they are best in full sun (where the plant develops its best flavor) but will grow in partial shade. Used in lemonades, iced teas, mint juleps, salads, sauces, and as a flavoring for gums, candies and upset-stomach remedies, mint is a universal herb. During Prohibition, spearmint was so closely associated with mint juleps that mint beds in Kentucky and several other Southern states were destroyed.

Peppermint is the second most used and recognizable of the mints. One of my favorites is chocolate mint (Mentha ×piperita ‘Chocolate’), which has a slight and delicious flavor of chocolate, especially when the leaves are candied. Peppermint is used in candies, gums and other foods and often is combined with spearmint for a more complex flavor. Like many of the mints, peppermint seldom comes true from seed and some sources claim that true peppermint never sets seed at all.

Contributing editor Jim Long lives and gardens in the Ozark Mountains.

Click here for the original article, Many Mints: Recipes and Growing Tips for Mint.

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Herb Companion readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Herb Companion?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save 50% off the Cover Price
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Subscribe to The Herb Companion-

Your guide to the many uses and even more pleasures of nature's most helpful plants!

The Herb Companion is the smart and easy complement to your own healthy, vibrant lifestyle! In every issue you'll find information on using herbs to:

  • Transform simple dishes into spectacular meals
  • Make gardens as useful as they are beautiful
  • Replace harsh chemicals with natural alternatives
  • Help find fulfillment, balance and good health
  • And much more!

Yes, send me a one-year subscription (6 issues) to The Herb Companion. I'll pay just $19.95.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $5.00 and get 6 issues of The Herb Companion for only $14.95 (USA only).