Traditionally the two mints are used interchangeably in recipes. Spearmint will thrive in all soil types, found in boggy areas or full sunshine equally as often. This is unusual for herbs as we tend to think they will require full sun and good drainage, but peppermint will also do well in partial sun. Planting Peppermint grows best in moist and shaded conditions. Crushing the leaves will release the essential oils for us to enjoy the menthol aroma. It is not possible to tell the mints apart from aroma alone, unless we are looking at specific cultivars. Aroma Rub or crush the leaves between thumb and fingers and you will release the essential oils and a lovely menthol and floral aroma. Lighter in color than the peppermint, but some cultivars do have hair on the leaves. They have the saw tooth edge of other mints and are roughly 9cm (3 1/2 inches) long and 3cm ( 1 1/4inches) wide. The leaves are where the name ‘spear’mint came from as the leaf goes into a spearhead shape. Serrated edges are a bit like a saw tooth. Up to 4cm (1 1/2inches) in width and reach lengths of 9cm (3 1/2inches) in length. Leaves Leaves are darker than other species of mint and have purple to dark red veins. You will see variation within the many cultivars as to levels of hair. Can grow to between 30cm and 1m (12-39inches) The stems are squared with a small amount of hair causing a fuzzy effect. In our garden we have containers that mean a limited height. Peppermint Spearmint Height Grows to between 30cm-90cm (12-35inches) tall. Care must be taken to contain root systems, however propagation by roots is then possible making great little gifts for friends and neighbors.īoth spearmint and peppermint are herbaceous perennial plants that will survive a mild winter and maintain foliage, however harsher winters will require a dormant period. If planted in most parts of Europe, Asia and Northern America both spearmint and peppermint should thrive. Peppermint is usually used as the mark of a plant that ‘not even you can kill’ but I have a friend who assures me he can! In fact I have seen the roots that both spearmint and peppermint put out appear in the field next to his garden as a means of escape! I’m really not sure how he manages it but then I suspect it may be a question of killing them with kindness. Peppermint or spearmint will take over, but in a little pot by the back door work very well. It is not enough to assume that a pathway or wall with foundations will contain the runners from each plant. Popular with gardener’s due to the ease with which they grow, species from the Mentha genus are invasive and will need controlling in pots or containers. Pliny The Elder talks about spearmint being used in banquets as a potpourri creating a pleasant aroma for guests, an account from the 1st Century AD. In 1753 botanist Carl Linnaeus categorized it as a species discovered in England. ![]() Peppermint is a hybrid mint cross between watermint and spearmint. Spearmint is the next most popular and will have a much more gentle flavor. ![]() Peppermint is the most common species and has the strongest ‘mint’ flavor. The genus Mentha has more than 25 species sitting under it and an unknown number of cultivars within each species. “As for the garden of mint, the very smell of it alone recovers and refreshes our spirits, as the taste stirs up our appetite for meat.” Pliny The Elder, Roman Natural Historian Differences Between Peppermint & Spearmint ![]() There is more to the differences and similarities to discover and then work out which is best for each dish. Spearmint is used as a treatment for fevers or digestive issues, peppermint is used for pest repellent to treatment for IBS. Peppermint oil has a 40% concentrate of menthol compared to spearmints gentler 0.5%. Peppermint and spearmint are both from the Lamiaceae family and the genus, mentha. The mint family is huge and contains so many of our favorite herbs. Peppermint and spearmint are the two most popular varieties of what we would widely consider to be mint.
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