Mint: varieties, growing and uses
With mint, you can create a whole scent tasting in just a few square metres. Spearmint, peppermint and apple mint each offer a different experience; a variegated form adds visible contrast too. Keep each choice in its own pot so you know what you are harvesting.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
- Use
- Spearmint has the classic mint aroma; peppermint has a stronger cooling character. Apple and chocolate mint are chosen for their recognisable scent profiles, not actual fruit or sugar content.
- Care
- Sun to light shade and sufficient moisture with drainage. Mint spreads by runners; also check roots growing out of drainage holes.
- Harvest and flowering
- Take young tips during growth. Cut an established plant back if needed and give the new growth time.
Discover varieties and growth habits
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Spearmint
Mentha spicata: the fresh classic kitchen mint.
Use: Recognisably fresh mint aroma.
Flavour of the species; a separate flavour profile for this variety has not yet been confirmed.View growing and harvesting →Place in my garden
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Peppermint
Mentha × piperita: a stronger cooling character.
Use: Strongly peppermint-like; start with a little leaf.
Flavour of the species; a separate flavour profile for this variety has not yet been confirmed.View growing and harvesting →Place in my garden
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Apple mint
Mentha suaveolens: softly hairy leaves.
Use: Apple-like scent at type level.
Flavour of the species; a separate flavour profile for this variety has not yet been confirmed.View growing and harvesting →Place in my garden
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Chocolate mint
A peppermint form for a different scent trial.
Use: Mint with a chocolate note in its scent; no cocoa or sweetness in the plant.
Flavour of the species; a separate flavour profile for this variety has not yet been confirmed.View growing and harvesting →Place in my garden
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Pineapple mint
Variegated mint for visible contrast.
Use: Mint-like flavour; no independently substantiated pineapple flavour profile.
Flavour of the species; a separate flavour profile for this variety has not yet been confirmed.View growing and harvesting →Place in my gardenChoose your way to grow
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Separate pots for a scent comparison
With mint, you can create a whole scent tasting in just a few square metres. Spearmint, peppermint and apple mint each offer a different experience; a variegated form adds visible contrast too. Keep each choice in its own pot so you know what you are harvesting.
- Put each mint selection in its own pot and make the name clearly visible.
- Keep pots in light and rootballs moist without standing water.
- Check whether roots grow beyond the pot through drainage holes.
- Harvest equally small amounts for a fair scent and flavour comparison.
For an identifiable harvesting spot with enough room for this growth habit.
Dividing and rejuvenating a clump
Put pots somewhere visited often but check drainage holes: pots on bare garden soil can still send roots out. Keep names visible as plants thicken. Separate pots per type reveal which recover quickly after cutting and which need longer.
- Take a healthy, established clump and split it into rooted sections.
- Remove weak or suspiciously damaged material and keep variety names separate.
- Plant usable divisions in fresh compost and water.
- Let enough new tips develop before harvesting generously again.
For a second growing position where you can compare shape, scent or harvesting rhythm.
How to create your own herb-growing space
Try five labelled pots rather than five plants together. Smell and choose without mixed runners. Compare using identical water glasses and leaf quantities. Chocolate mint names a fragrance association, not sweet chocolate milk without other ingredients.
Choose a suitable growing position
Put pots somewhere visited often but check drainage holes: pots on bare garden soil can still send roots out. Keep names visible as plants thicken. Separate pots per type reveal which recover quickly after cutting and which need longer.
From plant to kitchen
Not every flower must go. Let one pot flower for enjoyment and keep another for leaves. Cut young tips for gentle dishes and increase quantities to taste. Dry or rusty plants first need condition assessment; more fertiliser is no automatic answer.
Scent, flavour and use
Spearmint has the classic mint aroma; peppermint has a stronger cooling character. Apple and chocolate mint are chosen for their recognisable scent profiles, not actual fruit or sugar content.
Care, cutting and harvesting
Sun to light shade and sufficient moisture with drainage. Mint spreads by runners; also check roots growing out of drainage holes.
Remove old material and cut back during growth for fresh shoots. Divide an overcrowded clump; no fixed pruning day.
Take young tips during growth. Cut an established plant back if needed and give the new growth time.
Cutting, caring and following the season
Remove old material and cut back during growth for fresh shoots. Divide an overcrowded clump; no fixed pruning day.
Species information and annual cycle
- Space
- Recommended spacing is missing. Check the plant label or seed packet; unknown space does not count as free space.
- Soil
- No pH range supported by sources is included. Test your soil and follow species and variety guidance.
- Season
- An annual cycle supported by sources is included; variety, age and location may cause differences.
- Care
- 1 species care checks included. This is not a complete list of all possible care.
Herbaceous perennial in a temperate climate: flowering Jul · Aug · Sept, dieback Oct · Nov, dormancy Dec · Jan · Feb. Outside these periods, shoots emerge or foliage grows. In the southern hemisphere this shifts by six months; unknown and tropical locations do not receive an automatic annual cycle. A young plant is not guaranteed to flower. Common hardy herbaceous Mentha outdoors; check other species and protected indoor growing. An editorial window for a northern temperate climate. Dieback above ground is normal dormancy and does not prove that the rhizome is dead; regrowth depends on plant health and growing conditions.
What you need
Tick what you already have. The extras depend on how you grow.
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Make it your garden
Save your favourite variety or add it to My garden. Your own observations determine the growth stage; care tasks are based on the species.
Add Mint to my gardenExplore more herbsSources and image information
SeedSteps editorial team · checked on 13 October 2026. Flavour descriptions come from the listed sources; ripeness and growing conditions affect flavour. AI images illustrate described characteristics and do not prove cultivar identity.
- World Checklist of Vascular Plants — 4 juni 2026Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · 2026-10-07
- Herbs – Real Life, Good FoodUniversity of Minnesota Extension · 2026-10-13
- How to Grow Mint in Your GardenUtah State University Extension · 2026-10-13
- Growing herbs in home gardensUniversity of Minnesota Extension · 2026-10-13
- How to grow mintRoyal Horticultural Society · 2026-10-13