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edible

Mint

Mentha spicata

Climate-suitable non-native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Partial shade

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 38°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -25°C

Waterlogging tolerance

4/5

Drought tolerance

2/5

Mature size

0.3–0.6 m tall, 0.6 m spread

Seasonal interest

Summer · Lilac

Maintenance

low

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 4/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Invades beds; always grow in a pot.

Toxicity: none

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name
Mentha spicata L.
Family
Lamiaceae (Lamiales)
Rank and status
species · accepted
GBIF record
Taxon 2927175

Recorded native range: Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Flanders, Flemish Region, Walloon Region

Recorded as introduced in: Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Algeria, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Azores, Açores and 124 further regions

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata), also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many other temperate parts of the world, including northern and southern Africa, North America, and South America. It is used as a flavouring in food and herbal teas. The aromatic oil, called oil of spearmint, is also used as a flavoring and sometimes as a scent. The species and its subspecies have many synonyms, including Mentha crispa, Mentha crispata, and Mentha viridis.

Description from Wikipedia — Spearmint (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

  • United Kingdom: climate-suitable
  • United States: climate-suitable
  • Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.