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Mentha | Mint

Lamiaceae (Mint Family) Pronounced Lay-mee-aye-see-eye

I had the Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) for a long time and enjoyed it the most.

I also had Grapefruit mint (Mentha × piperita f. citrata), but it was just regular mint to me.

I also had Sweet mint (Mentha x suavis), but it was just regular mint to me.

It seems there are so many different flavors of mint that one could grow anything from apple mint to chocolate mint and beyond!

This is a perennial herb that spreads by runners. Many people call it invasive, but I never found it to be because my soil was tough and I was able to watch for runners and cut them off before they rooted into the soil. It is recommended to plant them in a contained area such as their own garden bed or in a pot to keep them from spreading out of bounds.

If left to bloom, they do have light purple flowers. However, as with most herbs, the plant is better being harvested before it blooms.

I would dry the mint just as I do the Lemon Thyme and Lemon Balm. In 2024, I decided to stop growing mint as I did not use it that much.

The word "mint" is also used for money or the place money is manufactured which comes from the making of silver coin at the temple of Juno Moneta in 269 BCE Rome. The Roman goddess Juno became the personification of money.

Another use for the word is that something is in "mint condition."

I am not a big fan of the mint flavor, but I do like mint chocolate chips! I also like Moroccan mint tea.

2019

2016

Ah! I remember when I wrote the plant names on rocks and I loved how it looked. The writing did not hold up to the elements of weather, however.