Mentha spicata Seeds | Menthol Mint / Spearmint
LATIN NAME: Mentha spicata
COMMON NAME: Menthol Mint / Spearmint
Plant Profile
Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is a vigorous, rhizomatous perennial of the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to Europe and temperate Asia and now naturalised worldwide. It grows 30-100 cm tall, with bright-green, lance-shaped, softly hairy leaves and slender spikes of lilac-pink flowers in summer. Its clean, sweet mint flavour, driven by carvone rather than menthol, makes it the standard mint for teas, sauces and drinks.
Science & Biotechnology
Mentha spicata sits in the Mentha group, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Leaves are rich in volatile compounds, with carvone commonly forming an important part of characteristic spearmint aroma. Nothing exotic is required: standard seed-sowing practice, done carefully, is enough.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Menthol Mint / Spearmint has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Spearmint is widely used in teas, desserts, sauces, beverages and savoury dishes. Its fresh leaves are especially valued for their cool, sweet and herbal aroma. Plant is also useful in educational herb gardens because its leaf scent makes relationship between plant structure and secondary chemistry easy to demonstrate. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.
Spearmint is the gentle mint of teas and sauces, and human studies have examined its daily tea for hormonal balance in women; its sweeter, carvone-rich flavor suits both lamb and lemonade.
Growing from Seed
Raising Menthol Mint / Spearmint from seed is straightforward. Sow seed on surface of a fine, moist medium and press it gently into contact with the soil. Keep container bright and evenly moist while seedlings establish. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Menthol Mint / Spearmint repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Menthol Mint / Spearmint often pair it with these related subjects: