Not a dumb question. Any seeds it has may produce other tasting mint but the plant itself should remain chocolate flavored. I must have tried a dozen different labled chocolate mints until I found one that tasted like chocolate and mint all season. I would suggest you go to your nurseries and do a smell test on any plant you see that is labled as choco mint. The amount of flavoids? can vary from plant to plant. I grow my mints in 4 gallon pots if I like and plan to use that particular plant. The ones that I am testin I keep in gallon containers.

The reason for growing in containers is that unless the mint grows through a hole in the container and escapes it is less likely to spread. Also if I have a party I can move the pots that compliment any drinks or food I am serving and my guests can select their own. I do keep fresh water to rinse before using.

Chocolate mint, like all peppermint, is seed sterile so it won't produce any seeds.

Chocolate Mint is a man-made variation (cultivar) of Peppermint. Peppermint is a sterile plant, as francescod has explained, so it won't propagate by seed.

But plants can propagate themselves by means other than by seeds!

It will propagate itself (rampantly) by producing more roots; and by stem layering. Each (of zillions) of the plants produced in these ways will be a clone of the parent plant and will taste just like it.

You are well advised NOT to plant any mint in the ground! If you ignore this advice, your next post will be titled 'How do I get rid of....?'.

If you live in a coolish climate, your mint will benefit from being put into full sun. The sunlight and heat will encourage the plant to produce more of the essential oils which give it its characteristic perfume and flavour. In a hot climate, mints prefer partial shade, but the climatic heat will be enough to give the flavour. My chocolate mint (in the subtropics) tastes and smells very much of a Chocolate Mint Patty.

Well, you inspired me to try to find some chocolate mint.

I am one that put my mint in the ground, and yes, I have to go out there and pull out many roots and little plants that pop up everywhere.

In another mint thread someone suggested to learn to love your mint. Then you can't get enough. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Therefore, I daily glean some of the best leaves, smash them and chop them, and put into a tea ball. Into my tea they go, and now I LOVE my mint in the ground. I can't get enough leaves!!

Gonna call nurseries today and see who has chocolate mint....

I love that my mints spread into my lawn. Everytime we mow the whole yard smells like york peppermint patties. It is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hopefully this thread isn't too old, but I was wondering...

Does chocolate mint not produce any seeds at all or does it just have seeds that don't grow into true chocolate mint plants? I was planning to bring one into my office and maybe put it on our balcony. It's on the second floor and rather windy in the area, so I don't want it to end up blowing seeds all over campus.

I know the thread says that the seeds are sterile in the latter part of the posts, but maifleur's post suggests that it does indeed produce seeds that are viable, but won't grow into chocolate mint.

I've actually never had peppermint or spearmint flower before, so I'm not sure what to expect as far as seeds go..

It does not produce viable seeds. It will flower a little bit but no viable seeds. I have it growing on my hill at home and just purchased a couple of other mints and intend to use it as a groundcover. I love that my yard smells like mint when the dogs run through it.

Ania

Can you recommend a place to buy these from please - where/which are the ones that are closest to the chocolate mint taste.

15 years ago I planted peppermint and chocolate mint in my veggie garden... the chocolate mint took over, there's no more peppermint anywhere and chocolate mint every where that it was never planted. So, how did this happen if chocolate mint does not produce seed?

15 years ago I planted peppermint and chocolate mint. Today, I have no peppermint and chocolate mint is everywhere in places it was never planted... if it doesn't produce seeds, how did this happen? Too much distance in between for it to be rhymes...

DM Roberts, did you read any of the previous comments? All of the popular garden/flavored mints (as well as most wild varieties) grow very aggressively via the roots or stolons. And can spread a great distance. However, different types of mint do not always grow with the same degree of vigor so your cocolate mint simply outgrew the peppermint and took over.

From Wikipedia: Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively perennial herbs. They have wide-spreading underground and overground stolons and erect, square branched stems. Mints will grow 10–120 cm (4–47 in) tall and can spread over an indeterminate area. Due to their tendency to spread unchecked, some mints are considered invasive.

Of course I did read them. The chocolate mint did not spread, it basically jumped over a paved stone walk way...

And what exactly is that if not "spreading"?? Sheesh!!

There would have to be seeds!!!

Sheesh!!

I had chocolate and pinapple mints and neither one made it thru the winter . I have unfortunately 😳lots of catmint which is great for pollenators.