Mint
Mentha × piperita
Botanical family: Lamiaceae
A generous, conquering perennial of the Lamiaceae family (genus Mentha, rich in hybrids), mint grows spontaneously in the cool, damp places of the northern hemisphere. Its running rhizomes make it invasive: it's readily contained in a buried pot. Very nectar-bearing, it attracts bees and butterflies as soon as you let it flower.
Partial shade
Moist, rich
Regular to abundant, soil always cool and moist
Very hardy
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
A very nectar-bearing herb. Its essential oils (menthol, menthone) have a repellent action shown in vitro on aphids, ants, and whiteflies.
Good companions
Fix nitrogen from the air (legumes)
Traditional companion planting (benefit not demonstrated)
Insects attracted or useful
Known pests & diseases
Pests and diseases that commonly affect this plant, tap to learn how to recognise and manage them.
Seasons & availability
Picked from April to October.
Available: April, May, June, July, August, September, October.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- RHS, « How to Grow Mint » (rhs.org.uk/herbs/mint/grow-your-own)
- La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, « Réussir la culture de la menthe » (fermedesaintemarthe.com/en/blogs/comment-reussir-la-culture-de/reussir-la-culture-de-la-menthe)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
The essential oil is not harmless: risks of irritation, burning, reflux, and dangers in infants and young children if misused. It is moreover not advised in case of gallstones, inflammation of the gallbladder, or obstruction of the bile ducts, as well as in case of severe liver damage.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find mint in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Family behaviour: Lamiaceae
In general, Lamiaceae are aromatics (basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, lemon balm, savory). Their essential oils are reputed to bother some insects, but in a trial cited by Parker et al. (2013), sage, thyme and mint planted near cabbages did not reduce their pests. Their flowers are much visited by pollinators.
Understanding families means learning one rule per family rather than every pairing one by one. Learn more →
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Species
Common varieties
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Ancient Greece (mythographic tradition) · Triphylia / Elis (Pylos, Peloponnese); myth transmitted by authors from the 1st c. BC to the 3rd c. AD
In Greek mythology, mint is born from a metamorphosis. Minthe was a naiad nymph who became the concubine of Hades, the god of the dead. According to Strabo (Geography, VIII, 3, 14), a mountain of Triphylia bears her name: the nymph, loved by Hades, was trampled by Kore (Persephone) and changed into garden mint, the plant some call hedyosmon ('sweet-smelling'). Ovid briefly takes up the motif (Metamorphoses, X, 728–730): Venus recalls that it was once permitted to Persephone 'to change a woman's limbs into fragrant mint'. The common plant thus keeps, in the Greek imagination, the memory of a punished and transformed rival.
Strabon, Géographie, VIII, 3, 14 (trad. Loeb / H. L. Jones, éd. en ligne LacusCurtius, penelope.uchicago.edu) ; Ovide, Métamorphoses, X, 728-730 (texte latin, The Latin Library).
A literary myth, not a living sacred knowledge: no restriction on transmission. It's a Greco-Roman mythographic tale, presented here as such and not as a historical fact.
Keep in mind
The repellent effect is solidly documented in the laboratory but stays very variable in the garden: it depends on the mass of plant, the climate, and pest pressure. To be regarded as a traditional helping hand, not a guaranteed protection. Warning: mint is very invasive through its rhizomes, contain it in a buried pot.
A note on rigour: many companion pairings are gardening folklore; this note sums up what the sources say, where there are any.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers partial shade exposure.
- • Ideal soil: moist, rich.
- • Classic companion: Pea.