Water mint

Mentha aquatica

Aromatic native pond-margin mint with rounded purple-pink flower heads in late summer. One parent of cultivated peppermint.

Hardiness ratings

Water mint hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–9 −40 °C to −1.1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −34 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–6 −15 °C to 15 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Excellent forage for bees and a host plant for numerous moth species
  • One of the parent species of cultivated peppermint (the other is spearmint)
  • Provides important cover for emerging amphibians at the pond margin
  • Vigorous spreader by stolons — contain in pond baskets if planting in a small pond

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Water mint against your zones

Reference

Water mint on Wikipedia