What Are The Different Types Of Mints And Are They All Edible?

 What Are The Different Types Of Mints And Are They All Edible?

 

What is Mint?

Mint is a type of plant (Mentha genus) that’s native to the eastern Mediterranean area. It’s bright green in color, produces a pleasing aroma, and is very easy to grow in your own garden.

The best part about mint is its versatility. You can use it for just about anything! Not only that, but it’s also gluten-free and a great source of vitamin A, which helps improve your eye health, brain function, immune system, and of course, stinky breath.

 

Meet the Mints

Manufacturer of Menthol Crystals in India shed light on the mint family Lamiaceae, the sixth- or seventh-largest of the flowering plant families as follows:-

 

· The most common and popular mints for growing are peppermint (Mentha × Piperita), native spearmint (Mentha spicata), Scotch spearmint (Mentha x gracilis), and corn mint (Mentha arvensis); also (more recently) apple mint (Mentha suaveolens).

· Mint provides most of our common culinary herbs (e.g., basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage, thyme, summer and winter savories).

· Plus, there are dozens (perhaps hundreds) of traditional medicinal herbs, not to mention many aromatics for use in flavorings, perfumes, and cosmetics.

· You’ll also find mints among our favorite landscaping plants. Think salvias, agastaches, and lavenders, bee-balms, hyssop, and Russian sage. All summer, they produce nectar-rich blossoms, which attract bees and beneficial pollinators along with an occasional hummingbird. 

 

 How Many Types of Mint Are There?

You may be surprised to learn there are over 600 varieties of mint on the planet! The mint plant produces a ton of herbs and flavors that are distinct from one another.

The most popular types of mint include:

• Fresh Mint Leaves
• Basil Mint
• Pennyroyal
• Calamint
• Field or Corn Mint
• Catmint
• Spearmint
• Curly Mint
• Licorice Mint
• Peppermint
• Apple Mint (Woolly Mint)
• Pineapple Mint
• Banana Mint
• Grapefruit Mint
• Orange Mint
• Lemon Mint
• Lavender Mint
• Ginger Mint
• Chocolate Mint
• Watermint

 

Growing Mint

You may have heard that mint takes over the garden. It's mainly spearmint that gives a lot of mints a bad name. Peppermint pretty much stays put as its stolons are short and shallow. Also, peppermint rarely produces viable seeds, so you won't find it popping up in different garden beds.

Wild spearmint is the real bully, developing an enormous network of tough, quarter-inch-thick rhizomes under flower beds, spilling out into a large section of lawn, sending up a new plant every inch or two from the underground nodes. I’ve pulled up yards and yards and yards of the ropey invaders, but they still keep coming.

But if you are cultivating spearmint in your garden, just give this attractive ground cover plenty of room to spread. Or, plant mint in a container such as a terracotta pot near the kitchen window. In the ground, it's ideal to grow spearmint in its own bed. But if you want to grow mint in a bed with other herbs or plants, consider sinking a deep bucket or tub without holes into the soil and plant into that. Otherwise, spearmint will choke out other plants in the bed. 

When cold weather approaches, plants can be lifted and brought indoors in their own pots to give fresh leaves through the first part of winter.

 

What is Mint Used to Make?

Mint is a unique substance. It has not only a trademark taste but also a distinct smell. For that reason, the different mint plants are used to make a bunch of things you use every day.

The following items are made using mint or mint leaves:

• Chewing Gum
• Candies
• Tea
• Ice Cream & Desserts
• Essential Oils
• Medicine
• Alcoholic Drinks
• Lotions & Creams
• Shampoos & Soaps
• Lip Balm
• Seasoning & Garnish
• Dental Products
• Cleaning Products

 

Are All Types of Mint Plants Edible?

No, not every type of mint is safe to eat. Some are grown as trees or shrubs, while others are purely decorative. The best way to tell if it’s edible is by seeing how it smells. For instance, peppermint and spearmint have a strong wintergreen aroma.