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Herbaceous PerennialSynonym

Mentha subcordata
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

corn mint

A variable herbaceous perennial about 10-60cm tall, with creeping rhizomes, and often reddish-purple stems bearing slightly hairy, aromatic mid-green leaves to 6cm long, held in pairs. The flowers are small, tubular andd pale mauve, in ball-shaped clusters forming a spike in summer

Other common names
field mint
mintys yr ŷd
Synonyms
Mentha angustifolia Host
Mentha subcordata
see moreMentha austriaca
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Poorly–drained, Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Purple Green
Autumn Green
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Lamiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
Yes
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming, Spreading branched
Genus

Mentha are aromatic, rhizomatous perennials with opposite, toothed leaves and small tubular flowers in spikes of whorls in summer

Name status

Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist but well drained soil in full or partial sun. May have to potential to become a nuisance; restrict the root run in a deep container and plunge into the ground, or plant in a well chosen site where it can grow unrestricted. See mint cultivation for more information

Propagation

Propagate by division or by cuttings at any time of year

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Patio and container plants
Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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