Mentha Longifolia seed

LATIN NAME: MENTHA LONGIFOLIA

COMMON NAME: Horsemint

The horsemint scents the vigorous, upright herb with the square stems and the lance-shaped, softly hairy, grey-green leaves that release the strong, peppermint scent when brushed, the slender, dense spikes of the small, lilac to white flowers opening from the midsummer, each whorl crowding the stem above the leafy pairs. The plant spreads steadily into the broad clump, and it carries the fresh, aromatic presence through the season. It likes the sun or the part shade, and the moist, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The aromatic oils of the horsemint have a long place in the research on the medicinal and culinary herbs of the mint family, and the species appears in the studies of the leaf oil chemistry and the creeping rootstock spread. The work looks at the essential oil compounds, the way the plant spreads into the broad clump, and the seed biology. The pharmacognosists value the oil, and the herbalists note the traditional uses. The growers of the aromatic garden herbs keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the kitchen garden, the horsemint scents the corner through the season. The peppermint-scented leaves serve the teas, the salads, the sauces and the refreshing drinks for the ages, the flowers feed the bees through the late summer, and the clump can be lifted and divided to spread the harvest. It grows well in the moist, well-drained, sunny or lightly shaded ground. Fresh, aromatic and easy.

To grow the Horsemint from seed, scatter the seeds onto the level, damp compost in the tray, then press them in lightly without covering, keep the tray in the bright, cool spot and mist lightly, and the seedlings spring up within a couple of weeks.

Keep the tray bright and gently misted, and pot the seedlings on as the true leaves come. The aromatic clump comes within the season. Set the young plants in the moist, leafy ground, and the aromatic clump will scent the corner through the season.

Leaves – raw or cooked. Peppermint-scented, they are used as a flavouring in salads, chutneys and cooked foods.
A herb tea is made from the leaves.
Horsemint, like many other members of this genus, is often used as a domestic herbal remedy, being valued especially for its antiseptic properties and its beneficial effect on the digestion. Like other members of the genus, it is best not used by pregnant women because large doses can cause an abortion.
The leaves and flowering stems are antiasthmatic, antispasmodic, carminative and stimulant. A tea made from the leaves has traditionally been used in the treatment of fevers, headaches, digestive disorders and various minor ailments. The leaves are harvested as the plant comes into flower and can be dried for later use.