Wild mint
Mentha canadensis · Aquatic plants
Whole plant · Photo: aarongunnar / CC BY
Also called American wild mint, Mentha arvensis, Field mint
How to identify Wild mint
- Square stems with opposite, toothed leaves
- Strong mint smell when crushed
- Small pale purple to white flowers in rings at the leaf joints, not at the stem tip
- 6 to 24 inches tall
Similar plants
Escaped spearmint and peppermint carry their flowers in spikes at the stem tips; water horehound has similar flower rings but no mint smell.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Comes up in late spring, flowers July to September and dies back to rhizomes in fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | Late spring |
| Light | Full sun to part shade |
| Depth | Moist banks to a few inches of water |
| How it spreads | Rhizomes and seeds |
| Habitat | Wet meadows, pond and stream margins, ditches and marsh edges. |
Why it matters in a lake
A common native mint along pond and ditch edges. Harmless and good for pollinators.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Scientific name | Mentha canadensis |
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Inland saltgrassNeed a hand?
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