Herb. No. 081 · Lamiaceae
European mint, gentler than peppermint, a garden runaway worldwide.
Native · Europe · Mediterranean
Native Also grownNow a garden plant worldwide
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Spearmint
Mentha spicata
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The sweeter garden mint — less menthol fire, more green candy. A children’s and after-dinner leaf.
Spearmint carries carvone more than menthol, so it cools less and sits easier on some reflux-prone people than peppermint. Traditional use is for gas, nausea, and a pleasant cup. It will still run the bed if you let it.
Flavor
Sweet green mint, cooler than basil, milder than peppermint — chewing-gum without the burn.
Parts used
Leaf · Flowering tops
Helpful
- Easy, generous, kinder than peppermint
Cautions
- Invasive runners
- Flavor fades if you let it flower itself out