Spearmint
Mentha spicata
Spearmint is a fast-spreading, sweetly minty perennial used in cooking, drinks and teas. Vigorous and easy to grow, it is best contained in a pot to keep it from taking over the garden.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular; keep evenly moist
- Difficulty
- Easy
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Overview
Spearmint is a hardy, aromatic perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae), one of the most widely grown culinary mints. It has a sweet, cooling flavor that is milder and less sharp than peppermint, because it contains carvone rather than the menthol that dominates peppermint.
It spreads rapidly by underground and surface runners, forming dense leafy patches 30-90 cm tall. This vigor makes it easy to grow but potentially invasive, so it is usually best grown in containers or with root barriers.
How to identify it
- Leaves: Bright green, lance-shaped, sharply toothed, wrinkled and nearly stalkless, in opposite pairs
- Aroma: Sweet, fresh, classic 'mint' scent when crushed
- Stems: Square, typical of the mint family, often branching
- Flowers: Small pinkish to white blooms in slender, pointed (spear-like) terminal spikes
- Habit: Spreading, with vigorous runners that root as they go
Care & growing
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Water: Regular; keep the soil evenly moist, as mint dislikes drying out
- Soil: Moist, rich, well-drained soil
- Temperature: Very hardy, roughly zones 3-11; dies back in winter and returns vigorously
- Feeding: Light feeding; usually unnecessary in decent soil
- Propagation: Extremely easy from runners, division, or cuttings — even a stem in water will root. Contain it in a pot to prevent spread
Habitat & origin
Spearmint is native to Europe and temperate Asia and has naturalized across much of the world, including North America, Africa and Australia. In the wild it favors damp ground, ditches, stream banks and moist meadows.
It is cultivated globally in herb gardens and commercially for its essential oil, and readily escapes cultivation to grow wild in moist disturbed soils.
Uses & benefits
Spearmint is a kitchen staple, used fresh in mint sauce, tabbouleh, salads, lamb dishes, mojitos and mint juleps, and brewed as a refreshing tea. Its sweet flavor makes it the preferred mint for many sweet and savory dishes.
Its essential oil flavors chewing gum, toothpaste, candy and mouthwash. Spearmint is also used in folk medicine to soothe digestion and is a good pollinator plant when allowed to flower.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between spearmint and peppermint?
Spearmint is sweeter and milder (flavored by carvone), while peppermint is sharper and cooler due to its high menthol content. Peppermint is actually a hybrid of spearmint and watermint.
Why is spearmint considered invasive?
It spreads aggressively by runners that root wherever they touch soil. Growing it in a container or with a deep root barrier keeps it under control.
Can I grow spearmint indoors?
Yes. Give it a bright windowsill, keep the soil moist, and harvest regularly. It also roots very easily from cuttings placed in water.
How do I harvest spearmint?
Snip stems just above a pair of leaves; regular harvesting keeps the plant bushy. Flavor is strongest just before flowering.
Spearmint guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Spearmint.
