Scientific Name:
Mentha cervina
Pronunciation:
MEN-thuh SEER--VYE-nuh
Common Name:
water spearmint, Hart's pennyroyal
Family Name:
Lamiaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves opposite, linear-oblanceolate, entire or with a few rounded teeth on each side, spearmint smell; florets forming globular clusters at peduncle nodes.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Irregular
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Origin:
Europe (Mediterranean)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist
Soil/Growing Medium:
Bog
Water Use:
Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Aquatic - ponds, Attract beneficial insects, Herb
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Shapes:
Linear, Oblanceolate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Verticillaster
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Blue, Violet
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Florets weakly bilabiate and may appear to have just four petals
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Not showy, Ovary separates into four tiny mericarps or "nutlets" that are enclosed in a persistent calyx
Bark or Stem Colour:
Pest Susceptibility:
(Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
