spearmint
mentha spicata

days to maturity: 70 days
plant spacing: 1 per square foot
sunlight requirements: 4-14 hours
look out for: crawling plant taking over your garden
harvest notes: prune new growing tips down to the base
seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer
perennial

Spearmint is one of the many mint varieties that grow well in our rainy summer season. Gardeners often grow it in pots or planters due to its invasive, spreading nature. The plant prefers partial shade, but will also flourish in full sun. Spearmint is best suited to loamy soils with abundant organic material. Spearmint leaves can be used fresh, dried, or frozen. They can also be preserved in salt, sugar, sugar syrup, alcohol, or oil. Spearmint is the mint variety used in Mojitos, gum & toothpaste and it also has multiple medicinal uses. Spearmint contains vitamins, antioxidants and is used primarily as a digestive aid that helps with nausea, indigestion & cramps. Spearmint also has anti fungal properties, improves memory and can help alleviate stress headaches. We love feeding kids fresh spearmint leaves because they tend to think that all leaves taste like salad, but spearmint tastes like gum! how fun is that!?