Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.)
↑Summary
A species of mint native to Turkey and the Balkan peninisula, and widely introduced worldwide, including in North America, where it is found continent-wide, but most common in the Northeast.
↑Range - Expand
| Legend | Color |
| Introduced | |
| Introduced or Not Present |
This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.
Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.
↑Habitat
Found in wet areas in full to partial sun and nutrient-rich soil.
In North America, most frequently found where it has escaped from cultivation in gardens; often grows up against foundations of buildings. Occasionally found in wild areas farther from cultivation, such as roadside ditches, wet meadows, and low-lying areas along waterways.
↑Uses
Widely grown as an herb, where it is used both as a fresh herb and dried herb in cooking, and in blending and on its own as an herbal tea.
↑Links & External Resources
• Mentha spicata (Spearmint) | Illinois Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Mentha spicata (Spearmint) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)
• Mentha spicata | Go Botany (About This Site)
• Mentha spicata | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)
• Mentha spicata | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)
• Mentha spicata | Missouri Plants (About This Site)
• Spearmint | Maryland Biodiversity Project (About This Site)
• Mentha spicata (Spearmint) | Minnesota Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Mentha spicata L. (Spearmint) | Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (About This Site)
