Description of Mentha aquatica (Water Mint)

Mentha aquatica is water mint, a UK native that thrives in wet ground. It smells like mint when you brush it, and it produces round clusters of lilac flowers in summer. It’s a great plant for wildlife and for filling damp edges.

Appearance

It forms leafy stems with rounded green leaves, often with a slightly reddish tint on new growth. Flowers appear as lilac pom-pom heads from mid to late summer. Height is often 30 to 60cm and it can spread by runners.

Care Guide

It grows strongly. Treat it like a plant you manage, not a plant you forget about.

• Sun: Sun to part shade.
• Soil: Wet soil or aquatic compost.
• Water: Boggy ground to shallow water.
• Control: Keep in a basket or pot if you want to stop it running.
• Cut back: Trim after flowering to keep it tidy and to encourage fresh leaves.

If you want leaves for tea or cooking, pick young tips before flowering for the best flavour.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This is brilliant for wildlife-style bog gardens. Flowers pull in bees and hoverflies, and the foliage gives cover at the margin.

In formal bog gardens, grow it in a pot sunk into the bed so you can keep it from spreading through everything else.

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