No cook can be without aromatic mint flavour to add to any number of dishes, but which mint to choose?

Mints are one the most popular herb families on earth. Peppermint, spearmint, apple, chocolate, Egyptian, Moroccan, Corsican, ginger, pineapple, banana … it’s a long list and includes around six species that are endemic to Australia.
The Mentha genus belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes other popular fragrant herbs such as bergamot, catnip, sage, rosemary and basil, plus the ever-popular flowering salvias.

There are about 25 mint species originating in Eurasia, North America, southern Africa and Australia. Many have now naturalised in numerous other locations across the globe.
Mint and mankind have long been known to each other. There are many biblical references to mint as well as mentions of it throughout the history of the ancient Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and Chinese.

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Cultivation

Mint likes to grow in a sunny to semi-shaded spot with ample moisture. It will grow in a wide range of climatic zones but is often treated as an annual in colder climates, as it dies back over winter only to reappear when temperatures are favourable again.

It can be very invasive because the plants send out stolons (runners), which spread far and wide, developing new roots and shoots at every node.
Grow it in a container to keep it in check. Keep it in its own pot, too, rather than plant it with other herbs, as it would quickly overtake them.
Prune your mint back when it becomes woody. Continual harvesting and regular watering are key, along with regular applications of fish emulsion and liquid seaweed.

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Varieties

These are some of the more popular and commonly found mints — by no means an exhaustive list.

Variety	Flavour	Description
Apple/Pineapple mint, Mentha suaveolens	Minty with undertones of apple and pineapple. Lovely for apple mint jelly.	To 50cm and spreading. Foliage quite woolly and leaves a rounded shape and either plain green or variegated. Mauve flowers.
Banana mint, Mentha arvensis ‘Banana’	Minty with very strong undertones of banana.	To 40cm and spreading. Foliage downy and bright lime-green. Growth a little less vigorous than others in Mentha genus. Purple flowers.
Basil mint, Mentha x piperita citrata	Sweet and spicy with aromas of Italian cuisine.	45–60cm. Upright growth habit. Purple flowers.
Chocolate mint, Mentha x piperita citrata ‘Chocolate’	Peppermint with chocolate undertones.	60cm high × 60cm wide. Dark-green leaves with dark-red/purple stems. Lilac flowers.
Corsican mint, Mentha requienii	Peppermint.	One of the smallest, only 1–3cm high. Tiny round leaves that grow flat like dense carpet. Will tolerate light foot traffic. Lavender flowers.
Eau de Cologne, Mentha citrata	Lemon perfume/aroma that’s quite sharp.	45–60cm, spread 1m. Green leaves tinged with purple. Lilac flowers. Original source for eau de cologne fragrance and still one of the most fragrant mints.
Egyptian mint, Mentha niliaca	Mild peppermint, similar to apple mint.	To 90cm. Rare, with long, pointed, serrated leaves covered in fine silvery hairs, giving a silvery appearance. An ancient mint, used since the Pharaohs. Often thought to be referred to in the bible. Purple flowers.
Ginger mint, Mentha spicata species	Spearmint with undertones of ginger.	60cm high × 40cm wide. Erect habit. Leaves serrated, heart-shaped and stems reddish. Lavender flowers. A true “double mint” because has both active constituents, carvoneand menthol.
Hung Cay mint, Mentha x gracilis	Spicy, zesty Vietnamese mint flavour.	40–60cm high × 30cm wide. Bright-green thin leaves. Lilac flowers. One of the many Mentha x gracilis hybrids. Confusion with naming. Often confusingly named Mentha javanica. Note: this is not Vietnamese mint, Persicaria odorata.
Japanese Menthol mint, Mentha arvensis var piperascens	Strong menthol with peppermint undertones.	60cm high × 1m wide. Leaves long, thin and downy grey-green. Purple flowers. Naturally grows in wet grasslands near rivers and lakes.
Moroccan Mint, Mentha spicata var. crispa	Sweet and minty, often combined with sugar and green tea to make Moroccan tea.	50cm high × 60cm wide. Bright-green soft-toothed foliage. Lilac flowers.
Old-Fashioned Garden mint, Mojito Mint, Mentha x villosa	True strong mint.	To 30cm, spreading. Flowers white. The common old-fashioned mint most people grow in backyards.
Pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium	Not to be consumed even in tiny amounts, especially by pregnant women. Known to cause miscarriage, liver and kidney damage, organ failure and even death.	To 15cm, spreading groundcover. Small glossy green leaves. Tiny mauve flowers. Traditionally used to repel fleas. Has toxic properties due to the active constituent pulegone.
Peppermint, Mentha x piperita	Spicy sharp taste, almost hot but cooling at the same time.	Vigorous spreading mint. Foliage dark green, stems reddish. True peppermint, sterile hybrid that’s a cross between Mentha aquatica and Mentha spicata. Used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
Spearmint, Mentha spicata	True spearmint.	50–90cm high, spreading. Bright-green, foliage spear-shaped and serrated, highly aromatic. Pink or white flowers. As a true species, responsible for many other cultivars.
Vietnamese mint, Persicaria odorata	Peppery hot taste some think is similar to coriander.	30-50cm high, creeping herbaceous perennial. Aromatic leaves elongated and green with reddish-brown markings. Flowers small and pink. Used extensively in Asian cuisine. Not a true mint but included due to popularity. Weed potential in some areas.
White peppermint, Mentha piperita officinalis	Milder peppermint.	Paler green and lacks reddish stems.

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Australian native mints

Note: there are around six species of mint native to Australia.

Variety	Flavour	Description
River mint, Mentha australis	Minty spearmint.	70cm high × 1m wide. A popular bush tucker herb used in culinary dishes as well as teas, fragrant oils and more. White or mauve flowers.
Slender mint, Mentha diemenica (means “of Tasmania”)	Soft minty flavour.	To 15cm. Dense groundcover with small rounded leaves. Occurs naturally in Tasmania and southern Victoria. White flowers. Plant between stepping stones and pavers to release minty scent.

Pest Control

Disease/Pest	Description	Remedy/Preventive
Rust	Fungal issue appearing as yellow spotting on top of leaves and yellow–orange rust pustules on undersides of leaves. May even cause defoliation.	Certified organic eco-fungicide. To prevent, ensure mint is receiving enough sunlight and give regular applications of seaweed.
Mildew	Fungal issue appearing as grey mould on foliage and stems.	Eco-fungicide. Prevent with ample light and regular applications of seaweed.
Grasshoppers	Chewed foliage.	Pyrethrum can be effective if applied directly to insect. Prevent by covering plant completely with fine mosquito netting.
Caterpillars	Chewed foliage	Bacillus thuringiensis organic spray or pyrethrum — only as last resort. Or be prepared to share as caterpillars become butterflies or moths.

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Propagation

Start root or stem cuttings either in a glass of water or in a cutting and striking mix. Seed can be unreliable. You may not end up with the same plant due to cross-pollination.

Culinary uses

• In the kitchen, mint crosses over from savoury to sweet with ease. Mix up mint sauce for a lamb roast or take it straight to dessert as peppermint ice-cream.
• Mint can be used fresh, dried and cooked. A key ingredient in Italian, Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines, it features in salads, drinks, pastas, chicken and seafood dishes, desserts, teas, as a garnish, in chewing gum, cakes and confectionary, and in mint sauce and mint jelly.
• Popular drinks such as mint julep, mojitos and the liqueur crème de menthe make refreshing alcoholic beverages. The flowers are edible, too, and come in a range of pinks, mauves, purples and white

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Medicinal benefits

Mint has also been used for centuries for medicinal purposes, in aromatherapy and as an insect repellent. It’s thought to have a calming effect, alleviate nausea and improve metabolism and digestive issues.

Other uses

• In ancient times, mint was used as a room deodoriser; it was strewn across hard compact dirt floors where people would walk on it, releasing the oils and aromas.
• For oral hygiene, it’s used in toothpaste and mouth freshener.
• It’s a great companion plant as it not only repels bad bugs but also attracts good ones such as bees and butterflies.
• As a personal insect repellent, the foliage can be directly rubbed on skin.
• In aromatherapy, the essential oils menthol and carvone are valued. It can be used as an infusion and added to cosmetics and perfumes.
• Mint makes a good living mulch. We have some growing under our fruit trees to suppress weeds, protect roots from temperature extremes and curb erosion. Plus the flowers attract pollinators.
• We give it a mow or let the ducks and geese at it to stop it spreading.