Herb · Lamiaceae
Mint
Mentha
Give it steady moisture and a pot of its own, and mint rewards you with fresh leaves from spring right through to frost.
Partial shade
Every 2–4 days
59–77°F · 15–25°C
80–90 days
Overview
Mint may be the most forgiving herb you'll ever grow, and that easy nature is both a gift and a gentle warning. It sits in the Lamiaceae family alongside basil and sage, sharing their tell-tale square stems, and the mint you'll most often meet in a garden is spearmint. Brush a leaf between your fingers and that cool, sweet scent lets you know straight away you've got the real thing.
The thing that makes mint special is its love of wandering. It sends out runners both over and under the soil, and every one takes root to begin a fresh plant, so a lone sprig can fill a bed within a single season. All that eagerness makes it wonderfully hard to lose, and it's simply why most gardeners keep it happy in a pot or a sunken, bottomless container instead of setting it free.
Away from the kitchen, mint quickly earns its keep. It's a hardy perennial that returns faithfully each year in cool and mild spots, it forgives the odd bit of neglect, and just a few leaves lift a cup of tea, a salad, or a summer drink. Offer it damp soil and a little shade, and it truly asks for next to nothing more.
Care
The short version: mint loves part shade and rich, evenly damp soil, a friendly pinch back through the season to stay bushy, and a container or edged bed to gently keep those runners in check.
Light
Mint is happiest in partial shade, especially where summers turn hot, though it copes with full sun as long as you keep the soil moist. A spot that catches morning light and rests in some afternoon cover gives you the tenderest, most full-flavored leaves.
Water
Keep the soil consistently moist and never let the root zone dry right out, since mint wilts quickly when it's thirsty. In warm weather or a pot, that usually means a drink every 2 to 4 days, and a little more if the leaves start to droop.
Soil
Settle it into rich, moist, well-draining loam with plenty of organic matter mixed in. A pH between 6.0 to 7.0 suits mint nicely, which happily covers most ordinary garden soil.
Temperature
Mint feels best between 59°F and 77°F (15°C to 25°C), the cool-to-mild range it hails from. It puts up with heat when it's well watered, but it slows down and toughens its leaves once things get too warm.
Humidity
Average humidity of around 40% to 70% keeps mint content, and outdoor air usually sits right in that comfortable band. Dry indoor air can tempt spider mites in, so a potted plant appreciates a little extra moisture nearby.
Feeding
Mint asks for very little at the table. A balanced all-purpose fertilizer or a gentle topping of compost in spring is plenty to see it through the whole season, and overfeeding only fades the flavor.
Pruning
Pinch the growing tips often to keep the plant nice and bushy while you gather leaves as you go. Snip off flower spikes as soon as they show so the leaves hold their best taste, and cut the whole plant back hard after it flowers to coax out fresh tender growth.
Repotting
A potted mint fills with roots and runners in a hurry, so divide and repot it once a year or whenever the container is packed tight. Let go of the old woody center, keep the strong outer pieces, and start them off in fresh soil.
Size & spacing
Mint reaches 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) tall and spreads 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 cm) wide, and often wider if nothing checks the runners. Give it real elbow room, or better yet a container, so it doesn't crowd the friends beside it.
When to plant
Mint takes the cold in stride once it's up and growing, but young plants appreciate a settled spring. Sow seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, move plants outside after the hard frosts have gone, and then help yourself to leaves right through the growing season.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 6-8 weeks before last spring frost
- Plant: Spring, after danger of hard frost has passed
- Harvest: Harvest leaves throughout the growing season; pinch off flower spikes for the best leaf flavor
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Mint is a hardy soul, so nearly all its little troubles trace back to wet, crowded leaves, a hot dry stretch, or the plant simply outgrowing its home. Find what matches below and step in early, while a gentle fix is all it takes.
Little orange spots showing under the leaves
Don't panic if you spot these; it's mint rust, a fungus that settles in when the leaves stay damp and the air sits still. Gently pick off the marked leaves and throw them in the bin instead of the compost, open up the plant so it can breathe, and pour your water down at the soil rather than over the top. If a whole plant is covered, cutting it right back to the ground and clearing away the bits gives it a clean fresh start.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy infected foliage (do not compost)
- Improve air circulation by thinning growth
- Avoid overhead watering and keep foliage dry
- Cut affected plants to the ground and dispose of debris in severe cases
Mint wandering off and crowding the neighbors
This one is simply mint doing what mint loves to do, so try not to feel discouraged. It creeps outward on underground and surface runners and will happily fill a whole bed in one season. Just follow each stray shoot back to its runner and lift it out, then settle the plant in a sunken bottomless pot or a deeply edged bed so those runners meet a firm boundary.
Fix:
- Dig out and sever stray runners
- Grow mint in a sunken bottomless pot or contained bed to restrict spread
- Edge the planting deeply to block runner travel
Potted mint tiring out with small, weak leaves
A pot of mint packs itself with roots and runners quicker than nearly any other herb, and once it turns rootbound the soil drains dry in no time and the leaves shrink. Ease the plant out and you'll likely see a thick tangle circling the sides, which is easy to sort. Split the clump, let go of the old woody middle, and tuck the healthy outer pieces into fresh soil, and it'll bounce right back.
Fix:
- Divide the clump and replant divisions
- Repot into fresh soil in a larger container
- Discard the woody center and keep vigorous outer growth
Dusty, faded leaves with a hint of fine webbing
When the air turns hot and dry, tiny spider mites can move in and quietly sap the leaves until they look pale and speckled. To be sure, tap a leaf over a sheet of white paper and watch for the specks that start crawling. A firm blast of water usually sends them packing, and if you keep the soil damp and the air around the plant a touch more humid you'll rarely see them again; save the insecticidal soap for the stubborn cases.
Fix:
- Spray foliage with a strong jet of water to dislodge mites
- Increase humidity and keep soil evenly moist
- Apply insecticidal soap if infestation persists
Toxicity
Mint is a kitchen herb people enjoy freely, and it poses very little risk to animals. The essential oils can give a pet a mild stomach upset if it grazes on a big helping, so it helps to keep grazing in check. The one real thing to watch is pennyroyal, a poisonous relative you should never mix up with garden mint or grow near animals.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Mild
A quick nibble won't hurt your cat at all, though one that settles in and eats a lot of leaves may drool a little and be sick. The essential oils are what irritate, so the upset stays gentle and clears up once the plant is out of paw's reach.
Dogs Mild
Most dogs give it a sniff and wander off happily. If yours chews through a patch it might end up with a queasy tummy or soft stools, and the good news is this usually settles all on its own.
Horses Mild
A horse would need to eat a real mouthful before it noticed anything. When that does happen the oils bring on some mild colic and loose droppings rather than anything you need to worry about.
Rabbits Mild
A leaf or two makes a fine treat, but the strong oils can leave a rabbit gassy and loose if it works through a whole pile. Keep mint to the odd small nibble and it stays perfectly friendly.
Livestock Mild
Goats, sheep, and cattle tend to steer clear thanks to that sharp scent. An animal that does graze a stand may show a little digestive upset, though it stays minor and passes quickly.
Birds Caution
There isn't much firm information on birds and mint, so it's kindest to be cautious. Offer just a small leaf now and then, and leave concentrated mint oil off the menu entirely.
People Safe
You can enjoy mint freely; it's a kitchen herb eaten fresh, dried, and brewed into tea without a second thought. The only thing to watch is its lookalike pennyroyal, which really is poisonous, so take care never to mix the two up.
Common garden mint (Mentha spicata) causes only mild GI signs, but its dangerous relative pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) contains high levels of pulegone and is seriously toxic, capable of causing liver damage in pets and people; do not confuse or substitute the two.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
There are dozens of mints out there, but only a handful do most of the day-to-day work in the kitchen and garden. These are the friendly few worth knowing by name.
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
This is the friendly everyday mint most cooks reach for, with bright green pointed leaves and a sweet, gentle flavor that works beautifully in the kitchen and in cold drinks alike.
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
Born from a natural cross between spearmint and water mint, peppermint holds far more menthol, so it tastes noticeably sharper and cooler on your tongue.
'Kentucky Colonel' Spearmint
This big-leaved spearmint is the one bartenders happily grab first when they sit down to muddle a batch of mint juleps.
How to propagate
Mint practically multiplies itself, so a single plant hands you all the copies you could want. Take cuttings or split a clump rather than sowing seed, since seed-grown mint rarely tastes quite like its parent.
DivisionEasy
Spring or early fall · 2 to 4 weeks
Division is the kindest, surest way to keep a named mint tasting just like its parent. Come spring or early fall, gently lift a settled clump and ease it apart into pieces that each hold roots and runners, then tuck them back in. Give them a good drink and the divisions find their feet within 2 to 4 weeks, soon sending out fresh new growth.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring through summer · 1 to 2 weeks to root
Cuttings are wonderfully forgiving from spring through summer, so this is a lovely place to start. Snip 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inch) stem tips, stand them in a glass of water or nestle them into damp soil, and watch roots appear in 1 to 2 weeks. It's best to skip seed, since it comes up uneven and the flavor may not follow through true.
Myths
Every kind of mint is dangerously poisonous to pets and should never grow near animals.
You can relax on this one; garden mint carries only a mild rating from the ASPCA, and the most a grazing pet gets is a passing tummy upset. The genuine worry is its cousin pennyroyal, whose pulegone can harm the liver. Grow your everyday spearmint with an easy mind, and simply keep pennyroyal well away from animals.
Mint is a tidy, well-behaved herb you can drop in anywhere in the garden.
Mint loves to roam on runners above and below the soil and can fill a bed in a single season. Give it a buried bottomless pot or a crisply edged bed and it settles in politely, but let it loose in open ground and you'll find yourself pulling stray shoots for years to come.