We all know about peppermint and spearmint, but do you know the best Types of Mint Varieties? We have a great list to share!
There are many mint varieties famous for their refreshing taste. These different Types of Mint offer a diverse range of flavors and scents, making them a fascinating subject of exploration. In this article, you will delve into the captivating world of many forms of this amazing herb.
Check out our article on growing mint here
Types of Mints
1. Spearmint
Botanical Name: Mentha spicata
USDA Zones: 4 to 11
Spearmint or Common mint is probably number one when it comes to culinary uses. It has narrow, green leaves with a pleasing scent, milder than peppermint.
Uses: The most common and most used in cooking when it comes to the types of mints. It is also known as Lamb mint because of its special uses in lamb and potato dishes.
Growing Tips:
- Plant it in moist soil under full or partial sun.
- As it is invasive by nature, growing it in pots is always a good idea.
2. Pepper Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha × piperita
USDA Zones: 5-11
It is a cross of two mints–Watermint and Spearmint. It has a very strong taste, sweet aroma, and cooling, pungent aftertaste,
Uses: It is often used in desserts and teas.
Growing Tips
- This plant can easily be multiplied through stem cuttings.
- Always grow it in fertile, well-drained, and moist soil.
Explore Peppermint Oil Uses In The Garden here
3. Apple Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha suaveolens
USDA Zones: 5-9
This species is also known by various names like Wooly or Pineapple Mint. It has light green round foliage and pale pink flowers that appear from early to mid-summer.
Uses: The fruity aftertaste makes it special. People use it in tea and for garnishing salads.
Growing Tips
- It’s a cold-hardy plant, growing well under full to partial sun.
- Water the plant well to keep the soil slightly moist.
Read about Apple Mint Care and Its Uses here
4. Banana Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha arvensis ‘Banana’
USDA Zones: 5-11
This fruity herb has an aroma that resembles a banana, which attracts bees. Its small lilac-colored flowers bloom throughout the summer.
Uses: You can use it in ice creams, cookies, muffins, and fruit salads.
Growing Tips
- Banana mint grows best in a partly shaded area that remains evenly moist.
- Frequent harvesting and pinching keep it bushier.
5. Chocolate Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha × piperita ‘Chocolate Mint’
USDA Zones: 5a-9a
Chocolate Mint is famous for its minty chocolate-flavored aroma. Its round spear-shaped foliage blooms stunning lavender flowers in summer.
Uses: It goes well in shakes, desserts, and ice-creams.
Growing Tips
- Though it can thrive in full sun, save it from the afternoon sun.
- Never allow the soil to dry out completely.
Read This Post on Chocolate Mint Care here
6. Watermint
Botanical Name: Mentha aquatica
USDA Zones: 5a-9b
Watermint, also known as ‘Mentha citrata,’ grows mostly in waterways near rivers. It has an oval-looking and toothed, aromatic foliage. This vigorous plant expands through runners.
Uses: Watermint is often utilized in herbal teas and aromatherapy due to its pleasant, minty aroma and potential digestive benefits. Additionally, its essential oil is used in producing candies, toothpaste, and skincare products.
Growing Tips
- As it thrives near moist places, it requires humidity and moisture for proper growth.
- Since water mint is invasive, grow it in pots.
7. Lavender Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha piperita ‘Lavendula’
USDA Zones: 3-7
One of the most beautiful types of mints that you can grow for ornamental purposes. Plant this 2-foot-tall variety in your garden as an informal hedge.
Uses: It is used in aromatherapy for relaxation and stress relief due to its soothing aroma.
Growing Tips
- Grow the plant on slopes or elevated areas in a garden bed to ensure good drainage.
- For pots, use well-drained soil that retains some moisture.
Find the Best Mint Watering Tips here
8. Slender Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha diemenica
USDA Zones: 4-8
This dwarf 6 inches high mint is frost-hardy and native to Australia. Slender mint looks different from other types of mints. It can be used as common mints. Learn more about it here.
Uses: It is often found in herbal teas and dietary supplements. Its mild, refreshing flavor makes it a popular choice for enhancing beverages and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Growing tips
- While it prefers several hours of sunlight, you can also grow this wild mint in full shade.
- Various propagation methods like Division and Stolonos can also be used as well.
9. Egyptian Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha niliaca
USDA Zones: 5-9
Egyptian mint is as old as ancient Egypt and has a reference to the Pharaoh’s times as well. This culinary herb has a scent like an applemint, and the flavor is milder than peppermint and spearmint. It has a strong, upright stem with fuzzy leaves.
Uses: It is used in savory dishes and teas and is also used as a skin toner.
Growing Tips
- This tall mint can be up to 2-3 feet high, so grow it in a medium-sized pot.
- You can grow it as an annual in USDA 8 and below. In warmer regions, it’s a perennial.
10. Pennyroyal
Botanical Name: Mentha pulegium
USDA Zones: 6–9
A large number of Roman cookbooks have a mention of Pennyroyal Mint. Grow it in a vegetable garden to sort out pest problems. It has tiny, delicate green leaves with stunning pale blue or lavender flowers.
Uses: It is seldom used in kitchens but more as an herbal remedy to repel insects.
Growing tips
- Since it’s a creeper (6-12 inches), you can grow it in hanging pots as well.
- If you’re growing this cold-hardy herb in a warm climate, water it regularly.
Find Tips to Grow Mint in Small Areas here
11. Horsemint
Botanical Name: Mentha longifolia
USDA Zones: 4-9
This upright herb can be up to 3-4 feet tall, bears flower spikes of attractive pale pink or lilac color, and has hairy foliage. It’s also known as silver mint.
Uses: It has more medicinal uses, which makes it a perfect addition to a medicinal garden.
Growing tips
- It’s more drought-tolerant than other types of mints.
- It can grow well in poor soil and full sun.
12. Corsican Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha requieni
USDA Zones: 7-9
Corsican mint is native to Corsica. It has trails of round, aromatic leaves with small, fragrant flowers. Like most mints, it is low-growing and invasive. Corsican mint helps to enhance the flavor of the vegetable crops growing around it and is used in teas and salads.
Uses: This variety is also an essential ingredient of the mint-flavored alcoholic drink crème de menthe.
Growing tips
- It loves the morning sun but dislikes the intense direct sunlight in the afternoon.
- Use soil that’s moist but not soggy.
Discover Do’s and Don’ts of Growing Mint here
13. Eau de Cologne Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha piperita citrata
USDA Zones: 3-9
Also known as the orange and bergamot mint, it has citrus-flavored perfumed leaves that are elliptical in shape on beautiful burgundy stems.
Uses: Orange mint is famous for its aromatic attributes and is used as an ingredient in the preparation of Jellies, salads, and Sauces. Its essential oil is used by the perfume industry.
Growing tips
- Because of its invasive nature, it’s better to grow it in raised beds or pots.
- Select a location that receives partial sunlight.
14. Strawberry Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha spicata subsp. citrata ‘Strawberry’
USDA Zones: 4-9
This compact mint variety is suitable for growing indoors in hanging baskets and pots. It has a fruity fragrance that is a mix of strawberry and mint.
Uses: Chop it to add to salads and desserts or make an iced tea.
Growing tips
- Use well-drained loamy soil to grow this mint.
- Keep it in a dappled shade.
15. Grapefruit Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha x piperita ‘Grapefruit’
USDA Zones: 6-11
What sets this mint apart from the rest is its intoxicating grapefruit-like fragrance. The fruit-flavored deep green leaves of grapefruit mint go well with fruit desserts.
Uses: You can also add it to seafood and lamb salad for citrusy zest.
Growing tips
- This upright herb can be up to 2 feet tall, so grow it in a large pot.
- Keep it in a spot that receives at least 4-5 hours of sunlight.
Learn Growing Mint in Water here
16. Hemingway Peppermint
Botanical Name: Mentha nemorosa
USDA Zones: 3-9
This American variety of wild mint is edible and can be eaten fresh or cooked into dishes that add a beautiful aroma and pleasant taste.
Uses: You can also enjoy the mint leaves in the form of herbal teas and other cold beverages.
Growing Tips
- This variety mostly grows as a wild plant without much care.
- Best thrives in rich, moist soil with a pH between 6-7.
17. Ginger Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha x gracilis
USDA Zones: 5-9
Ginger mint is also known as Vietnamese mint because it’s popular in Vietnamese cooking. It smells like spearmint with a hint of fruity ginger-like fragrance, therefore the name.
Uses: It is used to flavor beef and chicken dishes.
Growing tips
- Grow it in dappled or full shade in a moderately fertile, loamy soil.
- Like other types of mints, it grows aggressively, so it’s better to confine it in a pot before planting it on the ground.
Learn Growing Many Ginger Plants from One Ginger here
18. Mojito Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha × villosa
USDA Zones: 5-9
Also, goes by the common name Cuban mint (Yerba Buena); compared to other varieties, it has a warm and mild flavor.
Uses: The well-loved and known Mojito cocktail has this mint as its main ingredient!
Growing tips
- Warm, temperate, and mildly subtropical climates are perfect for this mint.
- It can be grown in USDA Zones 5 to 10a.
19. Hart’s Pennyroyal
Botanical Name: Mentha cervina
USDA Zones: 6-9
Another unique variety from the mint family mainly because of the fragrant leaves and colorful blossoms with a very intense minty flavor that’s similar to spearmint.
Uses: This is most widely used to season fish, meats, and other culinary uses besides the popular teas and beverages.
Growing Tips
- This plant can grow fine in sandy, loamy, or clay-like soil.
- Prefers semi-shade or full sunlight.
Read about Planting Mint Bed for Ground Cover here
20. American Wild Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha canadensis
USDA Zones: 4-10
This mint variety is native to most of Canada and the United States. It is among the most sought-after ones in North American gardens.
Uses: American wild mint goes well with jellies, teas, and candies. It has also been used to cure hiccups and toothaches.
Growing Tips
- Grows well in full sunlight to partial shade.
- Best suited for USDA zones 4-10 and needs well-drained soil.
21. Margarita Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha ‘Margarita’
USDA Zones: 5-8
If you do not prefer the taste of mojito, this is the mint variety you need to grow.
Uses: Margarita has a scent of lime that adds up as the perfect garnish to a margarita drink.
Growing Tips
- You should plant Margarita in humus-rich, Fertile, well-drained soil.
- Best grown in USDA zones 5-8.
Look at the Herbs that You Can Grow at Home here
22. Red Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha rubra raripila
USDA Zones: 3-9
This variety of mint is another delicious hybrid that is a combination of the watermint or Mentha aquatica, spearmint or Mentha spicata, and corn mint or Mentha arvensis. The taste resembles spearmint.
Uses: It is used in cocktails, garnish in lemonade or other cool beverages, refreshing teas, candies, and ice creams.
Growing Tips
- Feed with a slow-release 16-16-16 granular fertilizer in spring.
- The variety, like other mint plants, can thrive best in full sunlight but also grows well in partial shade, too.
Looking for Yellow Flowering Herbs Check here
Some Other Plants that are Also Called Mints
23. Lemon Balm
Botanical Name: Melissa officinalis
USDA Zones: 4a-9b
Lemon balm is a perennial herb from the mint family. People use it for making refreshing, lemony drinks because of its citrus-like scent, which is somewhat like lemongrass but with a hint of mint.
Uses: It is also used for treating mental disorders and medicinal purposes.
Growing tips
- Provide proper air circulation to this herb.
- Avoid overwatering.
Look at the Best Herbs with Grayish Leaves here
24. Calamint
Botanical Name: Calamintha nepeta
USDA Zones: 5-7
This variety of mint has a very powerful fragrance that is similar to Pennyroyal and tastes somewhat like a cross between marjoram and spearmint.
Uses: Calamint is not only used for cooking meat dishes and beverages but also is a host of several medicinal benefits.
Growing Tips
- Place calamint in full sunlight.
- This herb can sow by itself prolifically, so you need to get rid of the spent flower heads to stop seedlings.
Want to Grow Medicinal Herbs Click here
25. Catnip
Botanical Name: Nepeta cataria
USDA Zones: 3-9
If you’re a cat parent, growing catnip is an excellent idea for your feline’s enjoyment, as it contains a compound called nepetalactone, which attracts almost 70-80% of cats.
Uses: You can also use catnip in mint teas and salads.
Growing tips
- You can grow catnip indoors as well, on a windowsill that receives several hours of direct sun.
- This mint family plant is fairly drought-tolerant once established.
Discover Catnip Plant Care here
26. Licorice Mint
Botanical Name: Agastache rupestris
USDA Zones: 5-10
This variety of mint produces lovely purple flowers over serrated scented green leaves.
Uses: The fresh leaves are mostly used in baked items such as scones or cookies and in making custards, ice creams, beverages, vinegar, jams, or salad dressings.
Growing Tips
- The plant grows well in full sun. It can also tolerate light shade.
- Provide a balanced organic fertilizer in the spring once every year.
Want to Grow Licorice Plant Check the details here
27. Catmint
Botanical Name: Nepeta racemosa
USDA Zones: 3-9
Unlike catnip, catmint is an ornamental herb and can be used in vegetable gardens to deter insects and as an edging plant. Catmint also contains a similar compound, which makes cats euphoric.
Uses: It’s often brewed into soothing teas, used in aromatherapy for relaxation, and can be a lovely addition to gardens, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies with its fragrant, lavender-like blooms.
Growing tips
- Grow it in the garden in full sun to part sun location.
- When growing catmint in a pot, select a medium to large size container.
Thank you for this detailed descriptions, keep me informed of their uses
Pls send updates
thnks
Very informative, learnt alot thanks
Excellent, concise overview of my next herb garden for our new house.
The variety of scents flavours, uses and growing habits of these mints should make any gardener take note.
Thank you for sharing this
Where to buy all types of mints plants
Richters up in Canada has an amazing amount of herb seeds complete with growing and medicinal info
Hi & I love this article. The problem I have is finding the seeds.
Most places only have 6 of these mints.
Where can I find them all?
They may not have them all at once, but over time they do roll out a lot of specialized seeds. Try rareseeds.com
Thank you so much for the very much interesting information you have shared on your site. You really give me a lot of help… GOD BLESS YOU!!!
Where an I find the seeds for these mints?