Wild mint is a native perennial forb that can grow straight up or up and over. It has green hairy stems that are 4-angled and don’t branch out much. Sprawling of the stems is common.
The leaves are opposite, stalked, ovate to lanceolate (widest below the middle), have toothed edges, pointed tips, and well-defined vein patterns. The top of the leaf may be smooth, but the bottom usually has fine hairs. Leaves and stems are aromatic. Leaf pairs are 90 degrees rotated from adjacent pairs.
There are dense whorl-shaped axillary clusters of flower heads that grow above the upper leaf axils but not at the stem’s very top. This is called the inflorescence. These clusters are distinctly separated from each other on the stem. The flowers in this arrangement look like they are in a whorl, but they are actually in cymes that rise from the axils of two opposite green hairy bracts. This type of arrangement is called a verticillaster in the mint family. Only a few flowers in each cyme open at one time.
The individual flowers are tubular, from 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, and irregular in form. The petals of the corolla vary in color from white to light purple or pink. The flower’s upper lip is made up of two petals that have fused together. It has two lobes or a small cut in the middle. The lower lip, formed from 3 fused petals, is singular or subdivided into 3 lobes. The corolla tube has four stamens and a style that stick out. The base of the style has long white hairs inside it. The green to purple calyx is usually hairy and has darker veins that can be seen. The tip has lobes that are shaped like an awl or a triangle. The flower’s calyx tubes are usually not as long as the leaf stalk next to them.
Seeds: Flowers that are fertile make a small nutlet with a brown oval seed that is 1 mm long and has a small pointy end. The small seeds need light to break dormancy so should be surface sown. Seeds do not need cold stratification.
Wild mint is a common plant in the mint family that grows in wet meadows and areas near marshes and streams. It grows from rhizomes and spreads by rhizome growth, forming colonies. Full sun is preferred, partial shade tolerated.
Names: In Eloise Butlers day this variety was simply known as Mentha canadensis. Mentha is the genus name for the Greek nymph Minthe. In Greek mythology, Persephone, Hades’ wife, turned Minthe into a mint plant so she wouldn’t be seduced by Hades, which Persephone thought Minthe wanted. The plant’s native habitat is planted fields, which is where the species name comes from. This is why the plant is also known as Field Mint.
The author names for the plant classification are: First to classify was (L. the name of a Swedish botanist who lived from 1707 to 1778 and created the binomial system used in modern taxonomy For the variety, Linnaeus is credited with early work, but “Kuntze” (1843–1907) added to the classification. Kuntze was a German botanist who oversaw the collections in Berlin and Kew Gardens and then wrote Revisio Generum Plantarum, which set new rules for nomenclature that were not accepted at the time but did so many years after his death.
Other Mints: All cultivated mints have the same smell, but Wild Mint is different because its flowers are spread out along the stem in a whorl shape, without a group at the stem’s top. Two other similar looking species, but always with white flowers, are Northern Bugleweed and American Water Horehound. Both are found in the Garden. Blephilia hirsuta, the Hairy Wood Mint, is the most similar species in Minnesota, but it is only found in the wild in 5 SE Counties. It has bigger corolla lobes, more hairy leaves, and dark purple spots on the lower corolla lobes. There is also a verticillaster at the top of the stem. See also Downy Wood Mint, Blephilia ciliata, which is not native to the State but similiar to B. hirsuta.
Wild mint is an aromatic herb in the mint family that can be found growing in the wild across much of North America. With its distinctive square stems fragrant leaves and pale purple flowers, wild mint has a signature look that makes it easy to identify.
In this article, we’ll explore the key visual characteristics to look for when identifying wild mint. We’ll also showcase pictures to help you recognize this beneficial plant.
An Overview of Wild Mint’s Appearance
Wild mint (Mentha arvensis), also called field mint or corn mint, is a perennial plant that emerges each spring from an underground rhizome Here are some of its defining features
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Grows 1-2 feet tall on square, rigid green or reddish stems
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Leaves are opposite. toothed. egg-shaped with pointed tips
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Underside of leaves and stems are hairy
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Leaves are aromatic when crushed
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Lavender, pink, or white flowers bloom in clusters mid-summer
Now let’s explore some specific characteristics and images that can help in identifying wild mint.
Stems – Square with Hair
One quick way to recognize wild mint is by its square-shaped, upright stems.
![Wild mint with square stem][]
Image credit: EALT
Running your finger along the stem reveals it has four distinct sides rather than being round. The stems also have fine hairs covering them.
Leaves – Opposite, Toothed, and Hairy
Wild mint leaves are:
- Opposite – Grow in pairs on either side of the stem
- Elliptic – Oval, egg-shaped
- Toothed – Have serrated edges
- Pointed – Come to a tip
- Aromatic – Release a minty smell when crushed
![Toothed wild mint leaves][]
Image credit: Wildflower.org
The undersides of the leaves have a fuzzy texture from small hairs.
Flowers – Pale Purple Spikes
From mid to late summer, wild mint produces flowers clustered together on spikes emerging from the leaf joints.
The tubular flowers have 4 petals and range in color from:
- Pale purple
- Lavender
- Pink
- White
![Wild mint flower spike][]
Image credit: Garden Magazine
One petal has a distinct lobe, helping distinguish it from other mints.
Where It Grows
Look for wild mint growing in moist soils and partially shaded areas, such as:
- Stream banks
- Wet meadows
- Marshes
- Low woods
It spreads vigorously via underground rhizomes once established.
Smell for Identification
The most foolproof way to confirm you’ve found wild mint is by smell. Crush a leaf or stem and sniff – the distinct minty aroma is a dead giveaway.
Wild mint is a great herb to identify because of its many culinary and medicinal uses. Now that you know what to look for, you’ll be able to spot this beneficial plant growing in the wild or add it to your own garden.
Common Questions About Wild Mint Identification
What is the difference between wild mint and other mints?
Wild mint can be distinguished from other mint family plants like peppermint and spearmint by its pale purple flowers and hairy stems/leaves. It also has a less pronounced minty fragrance.
Does wild mint have pink or purple flowers?
The flowers of wild mint can range from pale purple to pink to sometimes white. The tubular flowers have 4 petals with one lobe, and they grow in dense clusters on spikes.
Do wild mint leaves have rounded or pointed tips?
The leaves of wild mint are oval (elliptical) in shape with serrated edges. The end of the leaf comes to a distinct point rather than being rounded.
Is wild mint edible?
Yes, wild mint is edible and is used for teas, culinary dishes, and medicinal purposes. It has a minty aroma and flavor similar to other edible mints.
Does wild mint spread invasive?
Wild mint can spread vigorously via underground rhizomes. It can grow invasive in some areas, so plant it in containers rather than directly in garden beds to control spread.
Being able to identify wild mint provides opportunities to use this abundant herb. Check moist shaded areas and enjoy the signature square stems, aromatic leaves, and pale flowers of wild mint.
See bottom of page for notes on the Garden’s planting history, distribution in Minnesota and North America, lore and other references.
Above: The characteristic whorl-like arrangement of flowers in the leaf axils. These structures are composed of cymes and the structure is called a verticillaster. Drawing from Britton, N. L. , and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribners Sons, New York.
Below: The lower lip of a wild mint flower is often divided into three lobes, as seen here. The upper lip is sometimes divided into two lobes or just notched. Note the hair in the corolla throat.
Below: 1st photo – The hairy calyx has darker colored veins and awl shaped tips. 2nd photo – A nutlet forms from each fertile flower. Each contains one seed.
Below: The seed capsule of Wild Mint retains the awl shaped tips of the calyx. The individual brown seeds are much smaller than the capsule.
Below: Leaf edges are toothed and the underside (right) hairy. The vein pattern is prominent.
Below: Wild Mint will form colonies from its rhizomes.
Notes: Wild Mint is indigenous to the Garden. Eloise Butler catalogued it on May 31, 1907. She also planted a few more on June 9, 1913, that she obtained from 4748 Chicago Ave. in Minneapolis. It was also placed around the new Mallard Pool in 1932. Wild mint grows all over North America, except in the very north of Canada and a few southern U.S. states. S. not reporting it. Likewise, within Minnesota there are only a few widely scattered counties where it has not been found.
Varieties: There are eight recognized varieties of M. arvensis. M. arvensis L. var. canadensis is the variety found in Minnesota. There are three species of Mentha in Minnesota. This is the only native species, and the other two were brought there by humans. spicata, Spearmint, and Mentha ×gentilis, Heartmint. A third introduced species, M. Peppermint, Mentha aquatica x spicata, has been seen but never collected in the wild. It is the only other Mentha in the Gardens’ collection. The other two species called mints – Downy and Hairy Wood Mint – are in the Blephilia genus.
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Common Name Wild Mint (Field Mint)
Scientific Name Mentha arvensis L. var. canadensis (L.) Kuntze
Plant Family Mint (Lamiaceae)
Prime Season Early to Late Summer Flowering
Wild mint is a native perennial forb that can grow straight up or up and over. It has green hairy stems that are 4-angled and don’t branch out much. Sprawling of the stems is common.
The leaves are opposite, stalked, ovate to lanceolate (widest below the middle), have toothed edges, pointed tips, and well-defined vein patterns. The top of the leaf may be smooth, but the bottom usually has fine hairs. Leaves and stems are aromatic. Leaf pairs are 90 degrees rotated from adjacent pairs.
There are dense whorl-shaped axillary clusters of flower heads that grow above the upper leaf axils but not at the stem’s very top. This is called the inflorescence. These clusters are distinctly separated from each other on the stem. The flowers in this arrangement look like they are in a whorl, but they are actually in cymes that rise from the axils of two opposite green hairy bracts. This type of arrangement is called a verticillaster in the mint family. Only a few flowers in each cyme open at one time.
The individual flowers are tubular, from 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, and irregular in form. The petals of the corolla vary in color from white to light purple or pink. The flower’s upper lip is made up of two petals that have fused together. It has two lobes or a small cut in the middle. The lower lip, formed from 3 fused petals, is singular or subdivided into 3 lobes. The corolla tube has four stamens and a style that stick out. The base of the style has long white hairs inside it. The green to purple calyx is usually hairy and has darker veins that can be seen. The tip has lobes that are shaped like an awl or a triangle. The flower’s calyx tubes are usually not as long as the leaf stalk next to them.
Seeds: Flowers that are fertile make a small nutlet with a brown oval seed that is 1 mm long and has a small pointy end. The small seeds need light to break dormancy so should be surface sown. Seeds do not need cold stratification.
Varieties: See notes at bottom of page.
Wild mint is a common plant in the mint family that grows in wet meadows and areas near marshes and streams. It grows from rhizomes and spreads by rhizome growth, forming colonies. Full sun is preferred, partial shade tolerated.
Names: In Eloise Butlers day this variety was simply known as Mentha canadensis. Mentha is the genus name for the Greek nymph Minthe. In Greek mythology, Persephone, Hades’ wife, turned Minthe into a mint plant so she wouldn’t be seduced by Hades, which Persephone thought Minthe wanted. The plant’s native habitat is planted fields, which is where the species name comes from. This is why the plant is also known as Field Mint.
The author names for the plant classification are: First to classify was (L. the name of a Swedish botanist who lived from 1707 to 1778 and created the binomial system used in modern taxonomy For the variety, Linnaeus is credited with early work, but “Kuntze” (1843–1907) added to the classification. Kuntze was a German botanist who oversaw the collections in Berlin and Kew Gardens and then wrote Revisio Generum Plantarum, which set new rules for nomenclature that were not accepted at the time but did so many years after his death.
Other Mints: All cultivated mints have the same smell, but Wild Mint is different because its flowers are spread out along the stem in a whorl shape, without a group at the stem’s top. Two other similar looking species, but always with white flowers, are Northern Bugleweed and American Water Horehound. Both are found in the Garden. Blephilia hirsuta, the Hairy Wood Mint, is the most similar species in Minnesota, but it is only found in the wild in 5 SE Counties. It has bigger corolla lobes, more hairy leaves, and dark purple spots on the lower corolla lobes. There is also a verticillaster at the top of the stem. See also Downy Wood Mint, Blephilia ciliata, which is not native to the State but similiar to B. hirsuta.