corn mint
Mentha arvensis
RHS Plants for Pollinators
USDA zones3 to 7
SunHandles partial sun to partial shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Sizeup to 2.5 feet tall
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- White , purple
- Foliage color
- Green
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Corn mint (Mentha arvensis) is a perennial herb for pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes part sun or part shade and average to wet soil. Tiny white, pale pink, or lavender flowers sit in dense whorls and bloom from mid to late summer into early autumn. The leaves smell minty and are grown for flavoring sauces, jellies, and beverages. Bees visit the blooms.
Pairs well with Allegheny monkeyflower, Fanal astilbe, and Cranberry.
Native range
Europe, Central Asia, Asia, Arctic, and 14 more places. See all 18
Europe, Central Asia, Asia, Arctic, Altay, Buryatiya, Føroyar, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Kirgizstan, Krasnoyarsk, Magadan, NW. Balkan Pen., Primorye, Tadzhikistan, Tuva, Türkiye, and Yakutiya.