Mountainmint is a native, warm season, perennial that grows 2–3 feet tall and spreads equally wide.

It is a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family and the crushed flowers or leaves emit a minty scent.

It is an excellent pollinator plant, in some locations documented to attract 20 to 30 species each of butterflies, native bees and flies, during a single season.

 

Native Regions

Eastern and midwestern United States, with one species in California; eastern Canada

 

Availability

Commercially available

 

Duration

Perennial

 

Bloom Time

Summer

 

Average Height

3 feet

 

Flower Color

White

 

Exposure

Full sun to partial shade

 

Water Requirements

Average to slightly dry

 

Recommended Species

Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (narrowleaf mountainmint), native to the eastern and midwestern United States and eastern Canada, provides a significant nectar source for pollinators. The profuse clusters of white flowers, which appear from June through August, have been shown to attract scores of native bees and butterflies. This 3 foot tall, commercially available plant is heavily visited by numerous species of sweat bees and is therefore often used for pollinator restoration in agricultural landscapes to benefit crop pollination by these native bees. It grows in dry to medium-wet soils.

 

Pycnanthemum virginanum (Virginia mountainmint) is a routinely available 2 to 3 foot tall species, also native to the eastern and midwestern United States and eastern Canada. It has a shorter bloom period than narrowleaf mountainmint, producing clusters of white blossoms in July and August, which attract numerous bee and butterfly species. It prefers a slightly moist soil and can tolerate partial shade.