Herb. No. 002 · Lamiaceae
A garden hybrid of European mints, now a kitchen plant on every continent with a frost.
Native · Europe
Native Also grownNow a garden plant worldwide
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Peppermint
Mentha × piperita
Medicinal herbsKitchenHarvestCompanionsLookalikes
A hybrid mint whose menthol cools the gut and opens the sinuses — classic after-dinner leaf.
Peppermint is a sterile hybrid of watermint and spearmint. The volatile oil is rich in menthol and menthone. Traditional European and Middle Eastern medicine used the leaf for flatulence, nausea, and tension headache. Enteric-coated peppermint oil is one of the better-studied herbal products for irritable bowel cramp.
Flavor
Bright menthol cool that fills the nose, then a green sweetness.
Parts used
Aerial parts · Leaf
Helpful
- Fast sensory relief
- Easy to grow (almost too easy)
- Evidence for IBS cramp with enteric oil
Cautions
- Can worsen reflux by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter
- Menthol oil is toxic if swallowed undiluted
- Invasive runner — will take a bed