Other Names:  Mentha x piperita

Description:

An extraordinary mint with shiny, bright green leaves that have a chewing gum taste and smell; dried leaves can be used for tea; great container plant; spreads by underground rhizomes and is invasive unless contained

Edible Qualities

Chewing Gum Mint is a perennial herb that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. The fragrant oval forest green leaves which emerge light green in spring are usually harvested from late spring to late summer. The leaves have a minty taste.

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Seasoning
• Tea

Features & Attributes

Chewing Gum Mint's attractive fragrant oval leaves emerge light green in spring, turning forest green in color throughout the season on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. It features bold spikes of lavender flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer.

This is an herbaceous perennial herb with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading
• Invasive

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Chewing Gum Mint is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Herb Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Chewing Gum Mint will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant is quite ornamental as well as edible, and is as much at home in a landscape or flower garden as it is in a designated herb garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Chewing Gum Mint is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.