Pycnanthemum pilosum
Mountain Mint
a perennial member of the Pycnanthemum genus in the family Labiatae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Labiatae
- Genus
- Pycnanthemum
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Height
- 1.5 m
- Spread
- 0.6 m
- Fertility
- Insects
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Flower buds and leaves - raw or cooked[K]. A nice addition to salads or used as a condiment. The fresh or dried leaves are brewed into a delicious mint-like tea[2].
- Product or use
- Condiment
- Product or use
- Tea
- Plant part
- Leaves
Environment
- Range
- Eastern N. America - Ontario and Michigan south to Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
- Habitat
- Dry to moist woods, thickets and clearings[4].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If there are sufficient seeds they can be sown in an outdoor seedbed in April. Division in spring.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Succeeds in most soils[1] but prefers a rich loamy soil in full sun or partial shade with plenty of moisture in the growing season[3]. A good butterfly plant[K].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00