Mentha spicata

"Notes: Cultivated in gardens, Native of Europe"

This wildflower is a herbaceous perennial about 1-2' tall. The central stem and any lateral stems are light green to reddish green, 4-angled, and glabrous. Pairs of sessile opposite leaves occur along these stems. Individual leaves are 1-2½" long and ½-1½" across; they are lanceolate to ovate and dentate along their margins. The elongated teeth of the margins have narrow tips that bend toward the tip of each leaf blade. The upper surface of each leaf is medium green and glabrous; it has a

Spearmint is occasional in scattered localities throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map). Spearmint was introduced from Europe as a medicinal and culinary herb, but it has escaped from cultivation and naturalized in mainly disturbed habitats. These habitats include low areas along rivers, damp weedy meadows, roadside ditches, areas along the foundations of buildings, edges of yards, and vacant lots. Spearmint is often cultivated in gardens.

Mountainous Southern Sinai.

Canary Islands, Europe, Mediterranean region, southwest Asia, tropical east and south Africa.

Mentha crispata Schrad. ex Willd.:
Russian Federation (Asia)
China (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Mentha longifolia var. mollissima Rouy:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Mentha viridis (L.) L.:
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
Peru (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Mentha longifolia var. undulata Fiori & Paoletti:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Mentha spicata L.:
Argentina (South America)
Brazil (South America)
Canada (North America)
Pakistan (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)
Turkmenistan (Asia)
United States (North America)
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)
China (Asia)
Colombia (South America)
Venezuela (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Europe, Afghanistan, W. Pakistan, Chitral, Himalaya(Kashmir to Nepal), Tibet, N. America, widely cultivated.

1800-2700 m

Herbs stoloniferous. Stems erect, 40-130 cm, glabrous or subglabrous, striate. Leaves sessile or subsessile, ovate-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 3-7 × 1-2 cm, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin irregularly serrate, apex acute. Verticillasters in cylindric terminal spikes 4-10 cm, spikes interrupted at base; bracteoles linear, 5-8 mm. Pedicel ca. 2 mm. Calyx campanulate, ca. 2 mm, glandular, obscurely 5-veined; teeth triangular-lanceolate, ca. 1 mm. Corolla purplish, ca. 4 mm, glabrous, tube ca. 2 mm; lobes subequal, apex emarginate. Ovary brown, glabrous. Fl. Jul-Sep.

Herbs rhizomatous. Stems erect, 30-60 cm, purplish, glabrous. Leaves sessile or subsessile, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 2-3 × 1.2-2 cm, papery, base rounded to shallow cordate, margin serrate, apex acute. Verticillasters in terminal spikes 2.5-3 × ca. 1 cm, continuous or ± interrupted at base; bracts linear-lanceolate, slightly longer than calyx. Pedicel ca. 1 mm. Calyx campanulate, ca. 1.5 mm, subglabrous, glandular, obscurely 5-veined; teeth triangular-lanceolate, ca. 0.1 mm, ciliate. Corolla purplish, ca. 3.5 mm, glabrous, tube ca. 2 mm; lobes subequal, apex emarginate. Ovary brown, glabrous. Nutlets brown, triquetrous, ovoid, ca. 0.7 mm, sparsely glandular.

Mentha spicata var. viridis Linnaeus; M. viridis (Linnaeus) Linnaeus.

Spearmint is occasional in scattered localities throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map). Spearmint was introduced from Europe as a medicinal and culinary herb, but it has escaped from cultivation and naturalized in mainly disturbed habitats. These habitats include low areas along rivers, damp weedy meadows, roadside ditches, areas along the foundations of buildings, edges of yards, and vacant lots. Spearmint is often cultivated in gardens.

Canal banks, ditches and pools.

Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Russia, Turkmenistan; Africa, SW Asia; Europe]

Beijing Shi, Hangzhou Shi, Kunming Shi, Nanjing Shi, Shanghai Shi [Russia; Europe]

Generally, the flowers of Spearmint and other Mentha spp. (mints) attract nectar-seeking small bees, wasps, flower flies (Syrphidae) and other flies, the Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapae) and other small butterflies, and skippers. Other insects feed on the foliage and other parts of mints. This latter group includes the caterpillars of such moths as Agriopodes teratophora (The Gray Marvel), Haploa lecontei (LeConte's Haploa), Pyrausta acrionalis (Mint-Loving Pyrausta), and Sphinx eremitus (Hermit Sphinx). Other insect feeders include the leaf beetles Kuschelina gibbitarsa and Longitarsus ferrugineus, and the stink bug Coenus delius. Vertebrate animals largely avoid mints as a food source, although the Ruffed Grouse reportedly eats their leaves (Bennetts, 1900).

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe biocellata parasitises live Mentha spicata

Plant / resting place / on
puparium of Phytomyza petoei may be found on leaf of Mentha spicata
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / miner
larva of Phytomyza tetrasticha mines leaf of Mentha spicata

Foodplant / false gall
telium of Puccinia menthae causes swelling of live, elongated shoot of Mentha spicata
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / open feeder
adult of Chrysolina graminis grazes on leaf of Mentha longifolia x suaveolens (M. x rotundifolia)

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe biocellata parasitises live Mentha longifolia x suaveolens (M. x rotundifolia)

Foodplant / miner
larva of Phytomyza tetrasticha mines leaf of Mentha longifolia x suaveolens (M. x rotundifolia)

Foodplant / false gall
telium of Puccinia menthae causes swelling of live, elongated shoot of Mentha longifolia x suaveolens (M. x rotundifolia)
Other: major host/prey

Perennial.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 10
Specimens with Barcodes: 15
Species With Barcodes: 1

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 3
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

These species are introduced in Switzerland.

The preference is full or partial sun, moist conditions, and soil consisting of fertile loam. Spearmint can spread aggressively in open areas where there is limited competition from taller plants. Sometimes it is adversely affected by rust-related foliar disease.