Description

Apple Mint description:

Impressive, big, light green leaves on stiff upright stems.
The lilac flowers are attractive and appear in the summer.

A pollinator friendly plant including bees.
This is a butterfly friendly plant.
A bat friendly plant.
Can tolerate a coastal aspect with a certain amount of salt laden air.

How easy is it to grow:
This is okay for the herb garden, but none of the mints are easy to keep them looking good – they must have moisture in the soil and they are very susceptible to rust (see ‘Care and Maintenance’ below). They are happy in heavy or clay soils.

Also known as Round-leaved Mint, Woolly Mint and Hierbabuena.

Botanical name: Mentha suaveolens, Mentha rotundifolia, Mentha macrostachya or Mentha insularis.

Apple Mint culinary uses:

Use in mint sauce, salads, vegetables, apple mint jelly and cool drinks.

The best position in the garden:

Sun or semi shade.

Is it useful as a ground cover plant?

Yes, and it will keep spreading so allow lots of room.

What type of soil:

Any reasonable soil where not too dry, also tolerates acidic soil and clay soil.

How much moisture:

Normal moisture.

Hardiness and, or, lifespan:

Hardy.

Care and maintenance:

When newly planted always keep it watered until the roots have grown down and it is able to find its own moisture.

In the early autumn trim hard down to ground level and remove all leaf debris to stop the spread of mint rust.
At any point in the growing season trim back to half size if the bush is looking straggly.
If there are any stems and leaves with poor colouring, or brown spots, cut off at ground level and pick up any fallen leaves.

Leaves can get very speckled from Leafhoppers.

Size of plant:

Height 100 cm.
Spreading.

Planting density – to calculate how many plants are required in a planting scheme:

Allow 1 plant per square metre.
But if it is happy it will continue to spread!

Herb plants for sale, also alpines, wildflowers, perennials and ornamental grasses.