Kentucky Colonel spearmint
Mentha spicata 'Kentucky Colonel'
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size12 to 24 inches tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Creeping
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Lilac to pink to white
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
'Kentucky Colonel' spearmint (Mentha spicata 'Kentucky Colonel') is a perennial for containers, ground cover, rain gardens, and pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Its fragrant leaves grow on creeping stems that spread fast, so give it room or plant it in a pot. It is not a favorite of deer or rabbits, though hungry ones will eat almost anything. Lilac to pink flowers attract butterflies and bees.
Pairs well with Big bluestem, Meadowsweet, and Virginia spiderwort.