PlantFiles: Lesser Calamint
Calamintha nepeta

I like the look of this plant (especially in bloom)--and its fragrance--and its appeal to bees and butterflies. (It's also nice--used sparingly--as a tea herb, in a mixture of other herbs.) But you should take the word INVASIVE very seriously here....

If you're looking for a Boxwood hedge substitute for the north, Calamintha nepeta might fit the bill! Ok, it's not evergreen, but it's such a nice, aromatic, compact plant and if planted fairly closely it will form a good looking hedge effect. The flowers are a bonus.

The only caution I would give is if you are planting it next to a walkway, be aware that it attracts bees like crazy when in flower. I have a planting of 7, forming a hedge along an informal walkway but the bees seem so busy and happy at their task that they don't notice passersby at all.

Although related to to mints, Calamintha nepeta is clump-forming and does not run at all and has been extremely well behaved in my garden for 8 years now. Apparently, they do well in the northwest, northeast and upper midwest, but struggle in the south.

They have a woody base and I cut mine back hard in the fall to keep it's nice shape. Then neat little rounded mounds emerge in the spring. If I had a formal herb garden, or knot garden I think this plant would be perfect as an edging.

This plant has beautiful clouds of flowers in August and September. The tiny flowers have subtle purple speckles, but look solid white from a distance. It is fairly drought tolerant, and has done well in the hottest area of my yard (full sun, flanked on two sides by pavement). I should mention that the flowers are very popular with enormous wasps and hornets.

This is my first year growing Lesser Calamint. I started the plants from seed indoors in the spring. The young plants are quite sturdy, branching from the base. The leaves are a gray green, slightly hairy, and have a bold sawtoothed edge on the mature leaves. These plants have a distinct pennyroyal-like aroma when one brushes the leaves. The flavor of the leaves is similar to spearmint.

The flowers began to appear in late August. They are very small, lavender, snapdragon-like blooms with tiny violet speckles in their throats. As a first year plant, it is altogether pleasing, but perhaps a marginal perennial in our climate, so it's survival in my garden remains to be be seen.

This plant is native to Southern Europe.