Prostanthera sericea

RHS Plant Profile
silky mint bush

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Prostanthera sericea?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants

Synonyms

Prostanthera baxteri var. sericea

Shrubs

An erect, evergreen shrub to 2m tall with narrow, cylindrical leaves up to 5cm long; branches and leaves both covered with silvery-green hairs. From spring into early summer, clusters of white to pale purple flowers are borne at the ends of branches

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
10–20 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
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)
H3

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Lamiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Prostanthera are bushy evergreen shrubs with small, dark green, highly aromatic leaves and terminal panicles or racemes of cup-shaped white blue or purple flowers in late spring or early summer
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow under glass in a peat-free, loam-based compost in full light. Grow outdoors only in a frost-free environment with moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Prune after flowering; hard pruning may be detrimental

Propagation

Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Patio and container plants
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 8 after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus in gardens where it is present but insufficient data to determine degree of susceptibility