Peppermint

Peppermint, Mentha x piperita, is a natural hybrid of spearmint and watermint prized for its intense, cooling menthol flavor and aroma. It is the mint of choice for teas, candies, desserts, and essential oil, containing far more menthol than spearmint. A vigorous sterile hybrid, it rarely sets viable seed and is propagated exclusively from cuttings or division, spreading by runners into dense clumps 1 to 3 feet tall. The dark green leaves are often tinged with purple and borne on distinctly reddish-purple square stems, with terminal spikes of small lavender flowers. Hardy in USDA zones 3 to 11, peppermint tolerates a wide range of conditions but grows best in rich, moist soil with some shade. Like all mints it spreads aggressively and should be contained to prevent it overtaking a bed.