I mint what I mint
Lamiaceae, the name for the mint family, includes not only bugleweed and dragonhead but horehound, hyssop and hundreds of salvia species. Patchouli, a bushy perennial in the New Guinea part of the world, belongs at mint reunions. I’ve added chia seeds to peanut butter sandwiches oblivious to the fact chia and patchouli are related! Mint family! Who knew?
Some folks insist on calling Lamiaceae the deadnettle family. Fine with me. I’ve not heard a single dispute about it, and I keep my opinions to myself anyway except when innocent folks are threatened or arrested off the street by reckless, lawless leadership. Makes me uncomfortable. Not a time for insouciance.
Lamiaceae is an aromatic, inclusive family. Even teak trees somehow belong. A gardener could sit in a teak chair between patches of lavender and basil drinking peppermint tea amidst wafting patchouli scent while marveling at colorful salvia flowers– all in the family!
So let’s explore. Monarda bradburiana, also called bee balm, is native to our rocky hillsides. It is a Lamiaceae variety sold by nurseries for its flowers, but in my garden it sprouts every year naturally. The stem and leaves resemble peppermint and spearmint plants but with a yellowish tinge. I’ve used the leaves for tea. The flowers are welcoming and exotic, and the plants appear without my participation.
Also on our hillsides is mountain mint, a mint-looking plant which is part of the Pycnanthemum genus. Its leaves are moderate to dark green, smooth but veined with gently serrated edges, and the taste is foresty-minty with a hint of mischief. They also impart a lingering numb sensation for a while. Stems are square which is common among mints. Use the leaves in your tabouli or for tea. Tradition holds that mountain mint is medicinal for coughs, colic, gum disease, wound repair and more.
Sideritis is a genus of mountain mints comprised of more than 300 species native to the Mediterranean area and southern Europe. Mints must be shape-shifters changing all the time into new varieties, and that should keep botanists busy. Like the other mountain mints, the tea has been used to treat coughs and upset stomach. Greek mountain mint has narrow green-silver leaves with a soft, fuzzy texture. Does not spread invasively like… spearmint, which tried to capture a corner of my garden. The contest continues.
As a medicinal, spearmint tea calms an uneasy stomach, moderates blood sugar levels and fends off evil free radicals. As a neighbor in a garden, it might crash into any nearby space because its roots spread with great zeal. The leaves have a pleasant minty taste that toothpaste makers appreciate. It got its name Mentha spicata because its leaves are sort of pointy, but they are also as wrinkly as they are spear-like. I suggest crumpled mint.
Mojito mint has a milder taste than spearmint, but it spreads with similar vigor. It is a hybrid combo of spearmint and a variety sometimes called apple mint. Peppermint is a cross between spearmint and water mint. There are thousands of varieties of mint, some natural crosses and some bred to exhibit flavors like lemon, orange or apple.
Garden sage is a Lamiaceae member used to flavor turkeys on holidays. I use it for tea. It is a short-lived perennial that becomes a small shrub. Some varieties have leaves that are variegated gray-green with white, some have purple showing through, and some have yellowish leaves. Sage– for tea or turkeys.
A more exotic mint family cousin is wood betony. The personal physician of Caesar Augustus recommended it for dozens of maladies. Nicholas Culpeper thought it cured everything. Popular folklore claimed it scared away snakes and bed dreams. We don’t use it as much anymore. I just like the flowers, but I might get some for snakes.
So, the mint family offers us healthy teas, snake repellant, cough medicine, incense, breath fresheners, herbal antacids, and showy flowers. And catnip and bells of Ireland. And oregano.