Chocolate Mint is an upright herbaceous perennial commonly planted as a culinary or medicinal herb. The leaves are held on brown stems and have a strong peppermint scent with hints of cocoa. Terminal spikes holding small lavender flowers bloom in summer. Does well in sun or shade, and well-drained soils. Harvest frequently to encourage full shape and enjoy the benefits all season.
NOTE: Mints are highly aggressive spreaders- keep in a contained area.
MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance plant. Tolerant of most soils, except wet ones. Spreads aggressively- plant in contained area. No serious pests or diseases.
LANDSCAPE USES: Medicine Garden, Kitchen Garden, Mass Plantings, Butterfly Gardens, Cottage Gardens, Containers.
COMPANION PLANTS: Eggplant, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes - but in containers!
IMAGES: Downtowngal, Chocolate mint plant, CC BY-SA 3.0, (2) Denis Bourez, Chocolate Mint, (3) Deb Nystrom, Chocolate mint and Spearmint
*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.