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Close relatives of spearmint, peppermint, curly mint, ginger mint,
apple mint, pineapple mint, eau de cologne mint, water mint,
pennyroyal, Corsican mint
Native habitat
- Temperate areas of Europe, Asia & Africa
Growing conditions
- Mints will grow in most conditions but not too dry
- Likes damp, moist soil with shade at the roots & sun on
the leaves
- Will tolerate some shade.
- Can be very invasive - ideal for containers or in buckets in
the ground to restrict root growth.
Maintenance
- Control spread into lawns by mowing
- Pull up roots regularly to avoid it swamping other plants
- Water well in dry weather
- Feed when showing signs of rust disease
Parts used
Properties
- Pleasant smell & taste
- Has antiseptic qualities - used as a mouth freshener
Uses
- Spearmint and peppermint aid digestion
- Mint jelly and sauces
- Peppermint oil used as a flavouring in drinks, confectionary,
medicine, soaps and toothpaste
- Tonic, cough mixtures, bronchial trouble, asthma
- Cleaning wounds
- Gargles and mouth washes
- Vermin deterrent – rats and mice dislike
mint
History 
- Name derives from the nymph Menthe, who was turned into a
plant by the goddess Perserpina when she found out that Pluto
was in love with her.
- Greeks used to clean their banqueting tables and added to
their baths to stimulate their bodies
- Romans used it in sauces, as an aid to digestion and as a
mouth freshener.
- Romans brought mint to Britain
- Used by monks in medieval times for its culinary and medicinal
properties
- Most likely taken by the Pilgrim Fathers to America
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Mint
Mint - close-up of leaf. The leaves are the
parts used.
Monks in medieval times used mint for its culinary
and medicinal properties
Mint tea
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