The Spruce / Michelle Becker
Mint plants are among the most commonly grown plants in North American gardens.
Their strong scentkeeps deer from eating them.
They are also tough, cold-hardy perennials that spread easily via their own rhizomes.
The Spruce / Michelle Becker
As such, plant your mint where their ability to spread is a benefit, not a drawback.
You canprunemint plants, but most will still spread via underground rhizomes.
Here are some of the best types of mints to grow in the garden.
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If you are looking for a ground cover, try one of the slower-growing varieties such aspennyroyalorCorsican mint.
The foliage is toothed along the margins and dark green.
The “chocolate” in its name comes from its smell, not its taste.
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Its taste is actually orangey, and it is used to flavor both drinks and desserts.
The flowers are pink to pale violet.
Spearmint is a popular flavoring agent for chewing gum and is also used in salads and to flavor teas.
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Some gardeners prefer the ‘Kentucky Colonel’ cultivar over others because they feel it has nicer foliage.
It also stays shorter and does not have the rapid spread of many types of mint.
This makes it effective where a low ground cover is desired.
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Pennyroyal bears lavender flowers.
Warning
This mint is toxic and should not be consumed.
What makes watermint mint different from most others is that it can be grown in shallow water.
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This makes it the obvious mint choice for small water features.
It has white or light pink blooms.
The leaves can be either oblong or ovate.
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It is valued for itsvariegated leaves.
American wild mint (Mentha canadensis) fits the bill for a native mint for North American gardeners.
It is native to much of the U.S. and Canada.
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In the kitchen, it is used in candies, jellies, and teas.
Its strong aroma and flavor have made it a favorite.
Margarita mint, known for its lime-scented leaves, is the perfect complement to a margarita cocktail.
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Margarita mint also boasts value in the garden, with lilac or purple leaves.
The leaves are small, rounded, and light green, with bronzey tips).
No, not all types of mint are edible.
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Some are toxic and should not be consumed such as pennyroyal.
“Mint” can refer to many types of mint, though it usually refers to spearmint.
The difference between spearmint and peppermint is their menthol content.
Peppermint has much more menthol, making it “cooler,” while spearmint is milder.
The jot down of mint that has the strongest flavor is peppermint.
National Library of Medicine.
