PlantFiles: Spearmint, English Mint
Mentha spicata

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'.