Mint – A Versatile Perennial Plant

In short: All mints contain essential oils that support digestion and are used in teas, salads, chocolate desserts, meat sauces and fish soups. Harvest the leaves during flowering, when the aroma is strongest. Plant mint in a confined space or a bottomless bucket, as it spreads readily, in partial shade or sun. Do not give it to infants and small children.

Mint – A Versatile Perennial Plant

The name mint is of Greek origin and is also known as wind spice, peppermint herb, balm, or wind herb. We know these species, such as Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Lemon Mint, Orange Mint, Water Mint, Curly Mint, but also Pineapple Mint, Corn Mint (Mentha arvensis), or Pennyroyal, also known as Common Pennyroyal, which is already severely endangered in our region.

In the case of pennyroyal, the dangerous toxic compound pulegone is present, which is attributed to fatal effects when larger amounts of the plant are used. It differs from corn mint in that pennyroyal rarely grows upright, is not hairy, and has entire leaves. As a habitat, pennyroyal prefers water banks and wet meadows. It has a very strong aroma and the taste of this plant related to mint is the same and is produced by essential oils. However, we must constantly keep in mind that this perennial herb is poisonous when consumed in larger quantities. Pennyroyal can also be confused with creeping ground ivy, ground ivy, corn mint, or common selfheal.

Corn mint is a lamiaceous, bilabiate perennial herb whose stem is ascending, green, and four-angled. It has broadly ovate leaves, densely hairy on both sides, which smell fragrant when crushed. It has 8-12 inflorescences of blue-violet flowers that are regularly distributed in the upper part of the stem, but not at its tip, which is terminated by a cluster of leaves without flowers. Corn mint likes moist forest paths, ditches, marshy meadows, or even wet fields. But although its name suggests it should be most abundantly represented in fields, this is no longer the case.

All mints contain essential oils that support digestion, and the most well-known is their use in teas. We also frequently use their leaves and flowers in cooking. In small quantities, fresh mint leaves are added to salads, chocolate desserts, cottage cheese dishes, meat sauces, and fish soups. It is also widely used in refreshing drinks and fruit cocktails. The most suitable time to harvest mint is during its flowering period, as its aroma is strongest then.

We must also mention the most well-known mint, peppermint. It has a cool aromatic taste and its leaves are used for teas, refreshing drinks, liqueurs, lamb dishes, or salad dressings. Its leaves are used raw or cooked together with the dish. We place it in large pots or larger flower bowls on balconies and terraces. Outdoors, we plant mint in a confined area, as it tends to spread abundantly. Its spreading can be limited by planting it in a bucket without a bottom. It prefers partial shade as well as sunny locations.

Mint is not particularly sensitive to frost and its aroma is better in hot summer than in cold weather. Thanks to its adaptability, mint doesn't need to be fertilized, and we can store it either by placing it fresh in the freezer or by drying it and storing it in a dry place. Due to its essential oils, it should not be given to infants and small children, as they don't tolerate it well.

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