Scientific Name:
Mentha spicata
Pronunciation:
MEN-thuh spy-KAY-tuh
Common Name:
spearmint
Family Name:
Lamiaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Stems 4-sided; leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate, dark green, mild spearmint fragrance and taste; most (2-)5-7(-9)cm long x 1-2.5cm wide, petiole 1-4mm long, glabrous to slightly pubescent; flowers 4-lobed, mostly <3mm long, white to pink to lilac, in spike-like verticillasters.
Habit:
Dense, Upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Container planting, Herb, Medicinal plant, Perennial border
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to peppermint (stronger tasting due to much higher menthol content; florets 3-6mm long).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Heavily veined
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Pubescent
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cordate, Rounded
Margins:
Serrate
Additional Info:
(may have leaf hairs)
Inflorescence Type:
Verticillaster, Spike-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White, Blue, Pink (pale lavender to white)
Flower Time at Peak:
Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Flowers weakly bilabiate and may appear to have just four petals
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Not showy, Ovary separates into four tiny mericarps or "nutlets" that are enclosed in a persistent calyx
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Anthracnose, Fungal leaf spot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
