Orange Mint

Orange Mint, Mentha x piperita citrata, is a citrus-scented cultivar in the peppermint group, also sold as Bergamot Mint or Eau de Cologne Mint. It is distinguished by a bright citrus fragrance blending orange and bergamot with a cool minty base, making it a favorite for teas, cocktails, desserts, potpourri, and even homemade toiletries. The plant has smooth, rounded, dark green leaves often edged and tinted with purple on square stems, growing 1 to 2 feet tall and spreading by runners. It bears clusters of lavender flowers loved by bees. Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 11, it grows readily in moist, rich soil in sun to part shade and is propagated from cuttings or division. Orange Mint is prized for its unusually fruity, perfumed aroma among the mints.