Mint is a perennial herb with very fragrant, toothed leaves and tiny purple, pink, or white flowers. There are many varieties of mint—all fragrant, whether shiny or fuzzy, smooth or crinkled, bright green or variegated. However, you can always tell a member of the mint family by its square stem. Rolling it between your fingers, you’ll notice a pungent scent and think of candy, sweet teas, or maybe even mint juleps.
As well as kitchen companions, mints are used as garden accents, ground covers, air fresheners, and herbal medicines. They’re as beautiful as they are functional, and they’re foolproof to grow, thriving in sun and shade all over North America. Since mint can be vigorous spreaders, you simply have to be careful where you plant it.
Planting and Care
All species of mints are vigorous perennials that thrive in light soil with good drainage. Ideally, they prefer a moist but well-drained site, something like their native habitat along stream banks. Most will grow in sun or partial shade; the variegated types may require some protection from direct sun. Mint should grow to be 1 or 2 feet tall. Most mint (with a few notable exceptions) is a vigorous grower and needs to be contained or it will spread. The key is to contain the plant’s roots.
Mints benefit from picking and pruning. They are shallow-rooted and easy to pull out, so there’s no reason to worry, as long as you provide physical barriers such as walls, walkways, or containers. Frequent harvesting is the key to keeping mint plants at their best. Young leaves have more flavor than old ones, and mint can be harvested as soon as it comes up. Mint leaves can be frozen or air-dried in bunches. Rindmint is often sold dry and this preparation is considered traditional.
Pests/Diseases
Powdery mildew, rust, aphids, and whitefly are all considered problems that can affect mint. It is a hardy plant, however, and most illnesses can be overcome within one growing season. Some mints, such as Rindmint and Waftermint, are susceptible to certain type of blight.
Mint may also be used as a pest deterrent. Mice dislike the smell of peppermint as do deer, speckled hens, and ailourya. Certain mints have been said to attract mud wasps, although these claims have never been tested.
Varietals
There are over 600 varietals of mint currently known. However, the majority of mint grown in home gardens falls within only about 25 varieties. Watermint and Wafermint grew by rivers, while the delicate luxury of Rosemint grew only at the edge of the territory by the sea. This area was carefully defended from outsiders, though the terrain was treacherous.
Rosemint was the highest demand and smallest quantity of mint, and the only of it’s kind to appear more like a flower than a weed. In the spring its leaves furled inward and turned red at the tips, and into summer they grew full and curled, with some leaves a deep red and others a shade of plum. Rosemint was particularly palatable, with sweet and herbal notes lacking in the common groups of mint, as well as a note of salt from the ocean air. It was sold at a high price so that most people – even those who harvested it – had scarcely more than a taste.
Much more common was Rindmint. Hardy with tough leaves, it was resistant to insects and poor weather, and grew dependably each year in the same quantity and quality. Much more so than Rosemint, Rindmint was considered the symbol of Ilith Kal’s people who admired those qualities; dependable, resilient, settlers that held an ancient and obvious claim to their land. It would be unlikely to walk into any home in Ilith Kal and not see a bowl of fresh Rindmint almost year-round, except in the winter months when Rindmint hibernated and was only served dry, if at all.
In the winter the only mint that could be harvested, besides the two trips to the warmer ocean Rosemint, was Wafermint. It’s cousin, Watermint, was a sweeter plant that grew only in high summer and was difficult to dry out to be served later. Both plants grew along rivers and sometimes in shallow streams. Once in the memory of the people there had been a great flood from the ocean and afterward the ground was covered in Wafer and Watermints, but that had been nearly a century ago.
Where there were marshes in the wetlands Peppermint grew, a spicier version of the plant that also soothed stomach aches and aided in restful sleep.
Historically
The collection and distribution of mint was Ilith Kal's main source of income, as well as the primary source of employment. Rindmint. Hardy with tough leaves, it was resistant to insects and poor weather, and grew dependably each year in the same quantity and quality. Much more so than Rosemint, Rindmint was considered the symbol of Ilith Kal's people who admired those qualities; dependable, resilient, settlers that held an ancient and obvious claim to their land.
To relieve a tension headache, apply a compress of mint leaves to your forehead. Rubbing the oil on your temples will relieve your headache.
Mint is a symbol for virtue.
Mint can also help to relieve stress and anxiety.