Dig Into Plants: Mountain Mint

Mountain Mint

Other Common Names: Hoary Mountainmint

Scientific Name: Pycnanthemum incanum

Native to Alabama: Yes

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Stephanie Brundage

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BASIC INFORMATION

ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS

MAINTENANCE NOTES

HABITAT REQUIREMENTS

LEAF, FLOWER & SEED ID

PLANT LIFE CYCLE

Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Stephanie Brundage

I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous.
I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous.
I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
I can grow 2 – 3 feet high and 3 – 4 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Other Pollinators

Native Bees

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:

Whiteleaf Mountainmint
(Pycnanthemum albescens)

Short-toothed Mountainmint
(Pycnanthemum muticum)

Slender Mountainmint
(Pycnanthemum tenuifolium)

American Mountainmint
(Pycnanthemum virginianum)

Apalachian Mountainmint
(Pycnanthemum flexuosum)

Maintenance Notes

Dormant in winter.
Can become an aggressive grower.
Weed-like growing tendencies can be controlled by pruning at the roots and dividing in early spring.
To propagate by stem, take tip cuttings in June.
If collecting seeds, collect after the first few frosts.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots. Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.
Requires dry soil.

Dry soil: water once per week.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Part Sun/Shade
(2-6 hours of sun per day)

Dry Soil

Well-drained or Acidic soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center – R.W. Smith

LEAF DESCRIPTION

Green with a silvery white appearance; 1.5 – 3 inches wide; when crushed, releases a fragrant spearmint smell; upper leaves are whitish silver; stems are square and covered with short white hairs.

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Ovate	Margin: Dentate

Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Stefan Bloodsworth

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

Appear in clusters of small, 2-lipped, lobed flowers; white or lavender with small purple spots; silvery bracts (modified leaves) located below the flower.

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: White/Lavender	Shape: Tubular	Bloom Months: June – Aug

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
Seeds and Rhizomes/Tubers/Roots & Shoots
Self-seeds easily and roots by stems; can become an aggressive grower


Type: Fruit – Capsule	Description: Very small, black capsules	Months in Seed: Sep – Oct

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.
After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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