Apple Mint

A delicately flavoured herb for salads and dressings, Mentha suaveolens is a small, extremely vigorous, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial, with a spreading habit. It’s a mint with a definite taste of apples. The ovate, pointed, slightly hairy leaves are light green. Dense spikes of tiny, tubular, light purple flowers are borne in summer, and should be cut back to preserve the taste of the leaves. This plant is highly invasive and should be confined to a large pot – don’t sink it deeply into the soil, as the rhizomes are shallow and will escape, even into grass. Divide and replant into fresh compost every March as the plant starts into growth; alternatively, in autumn. Keep well watered.

Site: Tolerates exposure
Soil: Any moist but well drained, loamy soil; tolerates poor soil
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Season of interest: Spring to autumn
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 39” (1m) Spread: indefinite, unless confined in 2-5 years

Photo by David Stang and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.