Mint, Mentha, Mentha piperata, Mentha spicata, Pfefferminze (German), Menta piperita (Italian), Myata (Russian), Yang-po-ho (Chinese) or seiyo-hakka (Japanese) all refer to the various plants known collectively as Mint or Mints.

Peppermint

Mints are considered pretty common as herbs go. They grow easily for most people... more on that later... too well for many and most people don't use them for much beyond tea. At the markets when I sell plants, Mint is not among the top sellers. The Mojito Cocktail has brought Mint a little more into favor, but it's still not as popular an herb as, say, Basil or Rosemary.

I don't know why, exactly. In the summer, it makes the most refreshing tea or addition to tea. In the winter, its warm, relaxing qualities make it a wonderful before bed time drink. Mint can be added to green salads, sparingly, to be sure. Green peas are made more delicious with a sprig of Mint added during cooking. It can be added to cookies, icings, ice cream and what would tabbouleh be without fresh Mint.

Mint has many uses besides food, of course. It is a well known herbs for medicinal use. The infusion or tea has been used for nausea, including travel-induced nausea, indigestion, feverish conditions and even migraines. A compress soaked in the infusion can help relieve inflamed joints. Inhale the steam from a pot of peppermint tea to relieve a stuffy nose or sinuses.

Mint Flower

The cosmetics industry uses mint in soaps, toothpaste, mouthwash, aftershave and other body care products. It's used in making some types of liquor and liqueur- such as Creme de Menthe.

Mint has been used since ancient times in rituals and for blessings. Mint was one of the Druids' most sacred plants. Generally, the scent of a mint brings a sense of pleasure, denoting success and bringing an aura of protection. Mint was woven into the laurels that the ancient Romans used to crown themselves and their heroes at great feasts and celebrations. Mint may be given not only to celebrate success but also to invoke success.

Mints are excellent herbs for blessing one's home. It can be bundled with other herbs, dipped into blessed water, and used to aspurge away all previous energy and bring purification. Mint is placed in the home as a protective herb. Mint brings easy travel, attracts prosperity, and is placed in the wallet to draw money.

Lime Mint in Whiskey Barrel Planter at The Herb Cottage

Surprising to many people, there are dozens of types of mint. According to The Big Book of Herbs, among other sources, 19 "pure" but variable species of mint exist. The species has crossed and recrossed creating a confusion of plants that even the most careful botanists have trouble sorting out. Some 2,000 names have been published for the 19 species and their hybrids.

I like this quote, attributed to Walahfrid Strabo who wrote in his Hortulus around 850-900:

But if any man can name
The full list of all the kinds and all the properties
Of mint, he must be one who knows how many fish
Swim in the Indian Ocean, how many sparks Vulcan
Sees fly in the air from his vast furnace in Etna.

The various types of mints have different flavors, of course, as well as different shaped and textured leaves. From smooth to wrinkled, toothed margins to plain, tiny leaves to large, upright to prostrate growth habit, mints vary greatly in form. The one thing all mints have in common, however, is their square stems. In fact, all plants in the large Lamiaceae family have square stems. That's a sure way to tell if a plant you're looking at is in the Lamiaceae group.

As I mentioned earlier, many people consider Mint an invasive garden pest. And, it can run here and there through a garden if it is happy where it's planted. Therefore, most people grow it in a container to keep it, well.... contained. It does well in a hanging pot, if kept properly watered. A pot can be planted and sunk partway into a garden bed to allow the mint to grow without its runners rooting out and popping up where it's not wanted.

In very hot, dry climates or hot, humid climates, mint will suffer a bit, especially if not kept watered. Mint, unlike many herbs, likes moist conditions. Cool and moist are its favorite growing conditions, so when it's hot, some shade will help keep your Mint perky and ready to harvest. If you don't use your Mint a lot, the branches can become leggy and unattractive. Then, it's time to prune the plant back. Pruning will not only make the stems branch better, but will force new growth from the root ball. This time of year is a perfect time to prune Mint, especially if you are experiencing high temperatures and your plants are looking tired and droopy.

Mint is very easy to propagate. Since most varieties are not grown from seed, vegetative propagation is the only way to create new plants. The stems strike roots easily when placed in a jar of water with the lower leaves removed so no leaves are under the water line. Root sections can be potted up at the depth of about 1/2 - 1 inch and will grow into new plants. If you root cuttings in water, try not to let the roots get too long in the water before potting into a container for the plant to become established in soil.

Habek Mint, Mentha longiflora. Because it is extensively cultivated in the Middle East, this species is presumed to be the mint of the New Testament. (Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42). The Pharisees paid their tithes in mint (Mentha longifolia 'Habak'), anise, and cumin according to Biblical record.

For a comprehensive look at the many types of mint, along with some recipes, this is a helpful website: Earthnotes Herb Library

When planning your herb garden or looking for additions, don't forget to give Mint its place. You can keep in contained or let it run wild. It's up to you. But, in my estimation, no herb garden is complete without at least one Mint plant... preferably several. Mint makes a delicious tea, you can use it on your skin and .... if you put it in your wallet... it will attract money!! What could be better than that!?

For more recipes, please go to http://theherbcottage.com/mint_recipes.html.

PIctures, except for the Whiskey Barrel Planter, complements of Herb Growing & Marketing Network, http://www.herbnet.com and http://www.herbworld.com Editor: Maureen Rogers. Copyright 2005.

QUOTE FOR THE MONTH

There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind.
-Hannah Senesh, poet, playwright, and paratrooper (1921-1944)