PlantFiles: Spearmint, English Mint
Mentha spicata

Yes Spearmint can be invasive so you need to make sure it is be controlled in either a restricted bed or a pot. It is worth the effort because it is great in the kitchen. If you are going to grow it be sure and get 'Kentucky Colonel' which is the only named cultivar. It has larger leaves than the species and of course makes the best mint juleps.

Having this plant to use in drinks and for cooking makes it worth a little extra effort to contain. If you want to plant it in the garden, put it in a large plastic nursery container and sink the container in the ground. Leave the top of the container about 1 inch above the gound so that the runners on the plant can't escape. Divide the plant every few years. All mints are easy to propagate by putting cuttings in a glass of water. The plant flourishs in a damp area in full sun and isn't much bothered by pests or disease. It does die back in cold weather, but begins new growth early in spring.

Many new mints are available in garden centers now, and I also have orange mint, chocolate mint, and grapefruit mint in my garden. One can become quite a collector of mints these days!

My grandmother had a patch of spearmint growing at the edge of a stream in the cow pasture. I remember how lush and fragrant it was. We would gather it to put in ice tea and to make mint jelly. Thanks to my 'Grammie' for a wonderful memory.

Growing in a 24 inch container with, thyme, oregano, and lettuce. Keeping it pruned and drying the leaves has been a great experiment for the kids. They also love to eat it fresh and throw a leaf in their iced tea. Keeping this plant pruned is one trick to keep it's invasive character under control...I also keep mine a little on the reyer side to discourage the underground runners from being quite so aggressive.

Mistake putting this in the garden with other herbs... it took over.

Mine are regulated to a portion of the garden left to grow wild, it competes with dayflower, ivy, and Chinese Lanterns holding it's own.
Great with iced tea on a hot summer's day.

ive grown 2 different spearamint plants one was really leggy an didnt spread much nor did it survive the winter outdoors in pots the outher from a local nursery looked much more like whats shown in the images just it got mint rust only on the leaves (ive been growing mints fer years now like 4 it started with chocolate mint which i still have an love) good thing it didnt spread to my outher mints bewarte of rust on this mint!!!

an fer bthose that say its too invasive i use pots on the patio an i LOVE it (prevents weeds really well)

Extremely invasive if you don't curtail it's growing to a container - will easily overtake and choke out other plants. On a lighter note, the plants and flowers smell wonderful and you can pinch shoots to boil in water for tea. Makes a wonderful addition to a potted butterfly garden or a patio plant. One plant can replicate itself several times using offshoots, so one plant per 6" container should suffice. I have one of these plants paired with a Catmint plant and they battle each other out - I would say if you want to pair these up with something else, only plant these with equally invasive fast-growing plants.

Excellent in tea or as tea. Be sure to keep it contained! Cut back often to prevent flowering and encourage new growth. Seed is slow to germinate.

Spearmint, called Yerbabuena in Spanish is the traditional mint to use when making the Cuban "Mojito" rum drink.

Grows well in my yard in a contained area.

Makes a gorgeous "bush" type plant depending on how you trim it up. Mine reach 2 1/2 feet tall each year, I stay on top of it often not allowing it to get out in the yard. Mine never get the chance to flower as we use and sell the dried mint leaves.

No garden here is complete without Nana or mint! It is used in greensalads, tea, and on vegetable trays. Wonderful in a sandwich .... Feta cheese, black olives and mint inside fresh pita bread!
I grow it from cuttings! just pick some up from the grocery store and put it in a glass of water near the kitchen window for a few days. Once it roots I plant it! I am fortunate to have gotten my hands on Morroccan mint! It has a larger leaf than the local mint.

Be aware, this plant will take over a large area. I made the mistake of planting this in my garden two years ago without realizing how intrusive it is. I am wondering on how I can get rid of it without affecting my other flowers in the same area.

Like all the mints, spearmint readily crosses, so does not come true from seed. The cultivar 'Kentucky Colonel' is one of the best for flavor. It grows bigger than most, up to 3'.