Mentha × piperita 'Black Mitcham'

RHS Plant Profile

peppermint 'Black Mitcham'

RHS

Synonyms

Mentha × piperita 'Mitcham'

Herbs - Culinary Herbaceous Perennial

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A spreading perennial to 40cm tall and 90cm wide with strongly aromatic, oval, pointed and toothed dark green leaves flushed with bronze and dark red. Small, pale purple flowers form dense terminal spikes from summer into autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Poorly–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or East–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H7

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Lamiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Suckering
Genus: Mentha are aromatic, rhizomatous perennials with opposite, toothed leaves and small tubular flowers in spikes of whorls in summer
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a poor, moist soil in full sun. May have the potential to become a nuisance; restrict its spread by planting in deep containers and plunging them into the soil, or by growing in small, contained beds. See mint cultivation for more information

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or autumn. Softwood cuttings may be taken in spring. Pieces of rhizome can be potted up at any time in the growing season and grown on until established then planted out

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Patio and container plants
Cottage and informal garden

Pruning

Cut back old stems at the end of the year to ground level

Pests

Generally pest free

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and rust diseases