Can someone tell me what this mint type is?

11 years ago

I discovered a rogue mint plant in my basket (ordered spearmint from an organic farmer) and when I planted it, it grew like wildfire. Smells wonderful but I cannot identify the variety. He swears it's peppermint but I'd like to confirm. It has purplish looking stalks and like I said, smells amazing.

This is what he sold to me as spearmint. Looks legit from my research so far.

Thanks for your help

Featured Answer

SW (Sydney, USDA 10b)

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Do they smell or taste different?

There's no real way to tell from the photos. In my experience, the way your farmer designated them is typical for the way each of them look. But it's quite often the other way around, and it's also quite often that they're both the same.

Peppermint leaves are supposedly quite a lot darker than spearmint leaves, but I can't really see all that much of a difference from your photos. Some people will tell you to look at subtle differences in the teeth of the leaves; others say that peppermint stalks are always purple, never green; some people say that the flowers are arranged differently. Most of that is relative to form, in my opinion. There are countless variations of mint commonly sold under names like "mint", "spearmint", "common mint", "garden mint" and sometimes plants that look like "peppermint", and are sold under that name, are actually just another mongrel form of spearmint. You can buy packets of "peppermint" seeds from almost any nursery, and what grows will look a lot like a typical form of peppermint, but since peppermint is sterile, there's no way that it's actually peppermint.

I guess the only definitive way to tell is by testing the oil composition, which you can do to a degree by taste and smell. I don't really know to describe the difference without resorting to confectionery, but it should be pretty noticeable.

I was going to also say that if it's spearmint, you should be able to propagate it from seed. But a lot of people never see flowers from their spearmint so that's not likely to work as a test.

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Comments (8)

fatamorgana2121
11 years ago
Top looks like the various wild Mentha I've found over the years. Very minty, very pleasing and purplish stems especially on young foliage. "Wild" just means that were growing wild but I cannot say if they were a truly wild species as I never keyed them out to properly identify.

Enjoy and propagate not with seeds but with cuttings to ensure the same qualities.

FataMorgana
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Daixy
Original Author
11 years ago
@Sophie they smell so different but it's hard for me to describe. The spearmint is what I smell in mojitos here (I live in West Africa) but the other is stronger, more pungent if you will. It's amazing in tea and I've been using it as a skin toner. Now I'm planning on selling it, I want to be very sure what to label it as. Guess I'm visiting a botanist soon
Daixy
Original Author
11 years ago
Lol thanks @Fatamorgana. The farmer was surprised when he visited my home and found it growing wild in a pot. He asked me where I got the peppermint and I said "from the bag of mint you sold me six months ago". He told me he hasn't had peppermint on his farm in years and has been looking for some to propagate. I'm thinking this was a mint that died out and I was lucky enough to get that stray (and recognise it's importance enough to root it). The leaves are definitely darker than the spearmint and it looks so pretty in floral bouquets too. I'm making an edible basket next week for a friend and both mints will feature heavily in the arrangement.
miscel
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
It looks like peppermint. My peppermint looks like that without the purplish stalk and it's not as fragrant unless crushed. If you google pictures of peppermint (Menthe piperita) you'll find pictures similar to yours. Here's one:

http://www.stevenfoster.com/photography/imageviewsm/mentha/piperita/mpv5-072810/content/Mentha_piperita_423408_large.html

Also, what I've noticed is that the peppermint leaves tend to be smoother than that of the spearmint varieties which have bumpier leaves (if that makes any sense). And the stalk is thicker, even on the smaller and younger stalks compared to the spearmint (or from what I've encountered).

The second plant shown looks like a spearmint.
Daixy thanked miscel
Daixy
Original Author
11 years ago
Amazing how we all get different search results when we google stuff. I got a totally different set of images when i put peppermint in search box. I was beginning to wonder if I had a wild mint variety (discovered a wild basil variety here in Ghana akin to Holy and Lemon basil) and was really considering visiting the local Uni's botany department for confirmation :)

Bless
miscel
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
So true about the search results and resulting pictures. I noticed that peppermint as a search item tends to bring up all things mint and you have to take a closer look at the text and photos to find the peppermint. Not to mention a lot of stuff online is just misidentified or just incorrect.

I think it's great about your accidental peppermint. I wish my peppermint was fragrant like yours.
judybear23674
11 years ago
I agree that the top one looks like peppermint, but the lower photo looks like horehound (also a mint). Peppermint has a definite 'bite' to it, spearmint tastes like toothpaste. Be sure to keep your mints apart (I grow mine in large pots ten feet away from each other) as they will readily crossbreed. They will also take over the garden if allowed.

As to the plant with tiny leaves.. perhaps the roots need more room. Replant it in some well nourished POTTING MIX (never use soil or dirt in a pot) and see if that doesn't help.